A well-designed arena provides a safe and comfortable environment for horses to perform at their best and riders to focus on their skills. However, an outdoor arena or very large building could result in communication issues between rider and instructor. Two case studies describe riders in an equine-assisted services (EAS) program who are Veterans, using hearing assistance technology in weekly lessons and at a horse show for Veterans. Use of this technology may lead to improved self-esteem and a sense of independence and empowerment by developing participants into independent equestrians.

CEECOACH

Participant #1 used the CEECOACH communication system when he rode the Introductory Dressage Test for the first time and achieved the highest score out of seven riders.
Advantages of the CEECOACH for the rider:

• The rider was able to perform the riding pattern with better precision through continual guidance using the earpieces.
• During lessons the rider did not have to turn their head and eyes to maintain communication with the instructor.
• The rider felt calmer when hearing clear communication. This led to better outcomes for the horse and rider.
• The CEECOACH is compatible with riding helmets.

Advantages of the CEECOACH for the instructor:

• This device allows group communication for up to six people.
• The instructor could focus on giving verbal instruction and not worry as much about being positioned in certain spots in the arena to be better heard by clients, which also allowed for more immediate corrections on riding technique.
• The CEECOACH has a two-way connection range of 550 yards with a battery life of 10 hours.

Cords that connect the body transmitter to the earpieces are a disadvantage to this device.

Oticon Hearing Aids and ConnectClip Microphone

Participant #2 used the Oticon Hearing Aids and ConnectClip Microphone during twice-weekly riding lessons for six weeks. The participant’s hearing quality in the large indoor arena improved from three to 10 as assessed by a weekly survey. The rider’s self-evaluation score increased from five to eight, due to being able to receive immediate feedback and directions from the instructor. This rider also used the CEECOACH system twice during lessons but preferred the Oticon personal hearing aids for better fit, clearer sound quality and no transmitter cords.
Advantages of the Oticon devices for the rider:

• Provided quality instruction in real-time which helped her achieve a very high score in her first Introductory Dressage Test.
• Easy to operate, the microphone immediately links to Oticon hearing aids.

Advantages of the Oticon devices for the instructor:

• More reliable than standard radio systems and may be issued with Veteran benefits.
• The Oticon has a hands-free trainer microphone.
• This device has excellent sound quality and a validated range of 100 yards.

A disadvantage to the Oticon devices is that they only provide one-way communication from the instructor to the rider.

Considerations When Selecting a Communication System

A few things to consider when selecting a communication device are safety, sound, and purchasing options. When considering a communication system from a safety perspective it is important to think about how the device will be set up on the rider to not interfere or get caught on any tack or the horse. Sound quality, distance limitations, battery-life, and charging time are also important considerations. When looking to purchase a communication system consider pricing, warranties, accessories needed or included that could change or expand the system and whether there is a trial period available. Be sure to check with your participants to see if they have access to VA issued hearing aids and a free microphone accessory.

Additional Equestrian Wireless Communication System:

• Comtek Equestrian: offers a 30-day demo system
• Eartec: transceivers turn ON automatically without tuning or programming
• Equiteacher: digital wireless instruction, rider listen function, 500m range
• Wireless Horse Instruction System: 300m range with 13 channels

By Eileen White
PATH Intl. ESMHL, PATH Intl. Equine Services for Heroes® committee member