Susan E. Grant, OTR/L Director of Therapy and Adaptive Programs Carlisle Academy PATH Certified Riding and Driving Instructor Level II AHA Therapist Past program manager, one of oldest (1980) Driver Evaluation Programs Licensed Class A Driver Educator
Understand similar sensory motor and cognitive skills used in both motor vehicle and horse vehicle operation. Understand “pre-driving” role of carriage driving. Understand how to market community partners. Understand teaching strategies and ideas that will help a student generalize into a driver’s education curriculum. NOT…determining driver readiness or driver evaluation. Premier accreditation in therapeutic riding, hippotherapy and carriage driving Para equestrian Students 2-80+ years of age 5% of students drive, teens, young and mature adults Southern Maine Driving added to competitive team 1 instructor, 2ABWs, 3 equines, 3 vehicles
Teens or young with physical and/or mental health disabilities. Adults post trauma or disease process that would like to resume motor vehicle operation. Referral from driving professional, physician , schools, therapists, mental or physical health community partners.
Children engage in pre-driving activities. Bikes, scooters, skate boards, skiing, skating, boating. Children with disabilities may miss out. e.g. parental fears, systems issues, lack of mentor, finances, resources, etc. Access to personal transportation is key, especially in rural states. Mobility independence is foundation for community based independence. Provides centers with a unique service opportunity and method to connect to community.
Driving is a visual motor task ; visual motor learning most common type of learning style. Brain assimilates new information when the activity is functional and meaningful. Many have difficulty with motor , sensory and visual perceptual skills. Many need repetition to learn new information. Many have difficulties with communication and vehicle operation requires interpretation of non-verbal communication. Vehicle operation is a complex and requires the whole brain. Risk assessment triggers many parts of the brain, especially the frontal lobe. Multi-sensory experience; vestibular input has organizing affect on the brain and helps to facilitate neural connections.
Visual Tracking: Following a moving object smoothly and accurately. Visual Fixation: The ability to quickly and accurately locate and inspect with both eyes. Visual Focus Change: Ability to look quickly from far to near and vice versa with momentary blur. Depth Perception: Ability to judge depth and distance and move accurately in 3 dimensional space. Central vision: Center area of eye, focused, details and color. Peripheral vision: Outside of central vision, determines movement and black and white. Reality: if corrected vision does not meet state rules…they will NOT be eligible for motor vehicle operation. E.g. Maine very specific functional abilities profiles that must be followed.
The ability to identify an object, shape or symbol from a visually incomplete or disorganized presentation. In vehicle: Parking Mounted/in carriage: cones course, dressage figures. Visual Discrimination: Ability to see differences and similarities. Spatial Relations: Ability to perceive the position of objects related to each other. Position in space: Ability to understand the position of an object relative to one’s own body. Figure ground perception: Ability to distinguish an object from the background. Form constancy: Ability to identify objects that are the same despite the differences in their size, shading, texture and/or position. Visual Motor Integration: The degree to which visual perception and movements are coordinated. Skilled working memory: To retain information while processing other information. Selected and divided attention: The ability to select and prioritize without being distracted. Communication: Knowledge of verbal and non verbal. Executive functioning skills: Ability to assess risks, problem solve, reason, analyze and make decisions.
Varying degrees of strength and endurance. Kinesthesia. Motor planning. Reaction time. Bilateral skills and asymmetrical motor skills. Midline crossing. Many motor (purely motor) issues can be accommodated with existing assistive driving technology.
“Under the hood” safety check: ID Horse, harness and vehicle parts. Horse, harness and vehicle “wear and tear” assessment. Horse, harness and vehicle care plan. Relative costs and budget associated with “preventative maintenance” and “expected wear and tear.”
Harness fit Cart fit Tire wear and inflation Proper personal driving gear Tools and spares Audible signal Whip, header and ring support readiness. Review of verbal and non verbal team and ring communication. Driver on left side of vehicle. Trunk elongated, elbows bent, fingers hands at 8 and 4 o’clock. Rein position and concept of contact. Right foot fore, left foot stays “home”. Whip and voice to accelerate. Voice and reins to decelerate. Steadiness of voice and hands for gradual acceleration/deceleration. Concept of three second stop. Risk assessment before “walk on.” Eyes precede and direct vehicle movement. Ring activities to include work on walk/halt/3 second stop and visual scanning for ring assessment.
Straight line without over steering. (poles) Managing a bend without over steering. (cones) Risk assessment (safe obstacles and risks in ring) driving straight line. Risk assessment driving a bend. Understanding the various “horse gears” walk, walk on, trot, T-rot…trot on!”
Pedestrian crossing Work zones. Rail road crossings. Responding to school crossing guards and school zones. Sign recognition by color and shape; traffic signs, warning signs. Octagon/red, diamond/yellow, triangle/yellow, rectangle/white, rectangle/blue or green. Move in/out of various “horse gears”. Maintaining lane position; left shoulder up with center line. Left turn; (one lane to one lane, two lane to two lane) Right-Left- Right, 3 second stop Right turn; Left-Right-Left, 3 second stop Cart to carriage, longer wheelbase “Turn off the axle” Deviation and serpentines, decelerate through first ½ of turn, accelerate through 2nd ½ (half- halt, whip on for bend, lash flick) Progress with additional vehicle, add risk and distractions U turns; turn on haunches. Straight line backing.
Changing lanes (signal, visual check). Four and two way stops. Non verbal communication: Signal right and left, “Go ahead”, “I need help!” “Stop” Time to slow down and speed up. Maintaining proper vehicle distance. Center line interpretation. Emergencies and emergency communication. Reaction time practice; timed obstacles. Parking, loading and fire lanes.
Search and scan ahead Identify potential problems Predict possible movements of other things in the environment Decide on an action: slow down, stop, choose different route, steer around Execute decision smoothly and safely Teach the teacher, observations of other lesson Alert Don’t assume others intentions 3 second travel time between vehicles, less in bad conditions Search to know your escape Flexible with speeds to adjust for conditions Know your blind spots Quick looks don’t stare, body follows eyes Soft eyes Visual memory and navigation; obstacle course and dressage tests Progression towards independence with tacking, putting to, use and communication with header and AB whip. Emergency procedure drills. Learning assignments with pre and post testing. Teach the Teacher. Competitive events. Leadership responsibilities within a group. Horse, vehicle and tack maintenance. Assessment of defensive driving in a variety of terrains and conditions. Self-assessment, guided questioning, videotaping.
Objective: At the walk, driver will accurately and safely maintain vehicle along the ring center line 3/3 trials and 2/2 trials at the trot.
Prep: Single turnout with driver sitting on left side holding primary set of reins. AB whip holding back up reins and whip. Poles positioned down center line.
Lesson Content and Procedure: Review concepts of “whoa” “stand” “walk on” “trot on” with whip and voice aids. Introduce concept of maintaining vehicle position at center (left shoulder) Review concepts of voice and whip aids while maintaining vehicle position. Driver self-assessment and guided questioning.
Progression: Add distance visual anchor to introduce concept of “soft” versus “hard” eyes.
Center Line Objective: The driver will safely and accurately execute 2/2 left turns and 2/2 right turns at a 4 way stop intersection.
Prep: Single turnout with driver holding primary set of reins, AB whip with back up reins and whip. 8 poles forming 4 way, single lane intersection. Red paper at end of each lane signifying red light.
Lesson Content/Procedure: Introduce concept of red=stop. Introduce concept of 3 second stop. Introduce concept of 4-way stop. Introduce concept of scanning (right, left, right) and (left, right, left) and turn taking at 4 way stop. Introduce concept of steering through middle of axle to maintain proper vehicle position in lane. Driver self-assessment and guided questioning. Progression: Widen poles, add center line and teach concept of turning into two lanes.
Objective: The driver will accurately and safely halt the vehicle while a pedestrian crosses the pedestrian cross walk 2/2 trials. The driver will accurately and safely halt the vehicle and follow the direction of a school crossing guard at a school crossing 2/2 trials.
Prep: Single turnout with driver holding primary set of reins and whip, AB whip with back up reins. Set up pedestrian crosswalk with a series of 6 cones, identify pedestrian (s) and school crossing guard. Construct a reasonable facsimile of school crossing guard sign.
Lesson Content/Procedure: Introduce concept of pedestrian and school crossing. Introduce crossing sign and non verbal communication of crossing guards. Introduce a variety of crossing scenarios and progress the complexity of each scenario. Student self-reflection, guided questioning .
What was the task? How was it supposed to be done? How well did you do it? Describe all the things you did well during this task. How does this relate to driving a car? What can you do as a passenger in your family’s car to reinforce this skill? Name three other games or activities you can do as a driver that will help you reinforce this skill?
Problem Identification Target Audience Goals and objectives Educational strategies: content and methods Implementation: resources, marketing Create instructor’s guide that assists in skills progression and lesson planning process Identify cost for delivering the service and hit the road with your curriculum to sell it! Board members with curriculum development experience and access to targeted community partners.