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Wagon-bed riding is a practice performec with a covered carriage containing a canvas stretcher. It is a way to enable severely disabled people to move and so alleviate complaints such as constipation and spasms. Wagon-bed riding may be considered a special kind of hippotherapy. The wagon is a steel construction pulled by two trained horses. Canvas is stretched over the backs of the horses. The patient is placed in supine position on the canvas in the slight hollow between the horses. The rhythm, the warmth of the horses and the ambience has a relaxing and massaging effect on the patient. Wagon-bed riding is suitable for people who do not get enough physical exercise because of a handicap. During wagon-bed riding the blood circulation and vital functions, such as metabolism and digestion are stimulated. It has a beneficial effect on people who find it difficult to walk. Complaints such as constipation, epileptic seizures and lung obstruction (e.g. cystic fibrosis), may be reduced by wagon-bed riding. It has also been shown that wagon-bed riding has a stimulating effect on coma patients. Wagon-bed riding was started around 1990 in Bennekom (Netherlands), where the "Riding school without thresholds” is now established. There are now around twenty locations providing wagon-bed riding and training is given at the PTC in nearby Barneveld for carers. In order to develop co-operation and promote and improve the quality of wagon-bed riding, the ''"Stichting Bevordering Huifbedrijden"'' (SBH – Foundation for the promotion of wagon-bed riding) has been set up. == The horses == The horses used are usually Tinkers, Fjords and Haflingers. A shoulder height between 1.40 and 1.45m is ideal. The horses should be of equal shoulder height, preferably have a long back and an even, calm tread. Training a team of horses usually takes a year. Smaller ponies are used for small wagons, but these are not suitable for bigger children or adults and the ponies do not have such a calm tread. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wagon-bed riding」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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