The Equicizer is a mechanical horse that is non-motorized and is controlled by the rider's own movement. Invented by Frank Lovato, Jr. in 1982, it became a popular horse racing simulator for many jockeys and was used in the movie Seabiscuit for closeup horse racing scenes. Today, it is used by therapeutic horseback riding programs as well as by jockeys.
Contents
Origins
Lovato built his first non-motorized mechanical horse in 1982 while recovering from a riding accident that left him with a seriously broken leg. There were no horse riding simulators on the market at the time, and so he designed one for his own rehabilitation. As word got out about his invention, Lovato began receiving requests from other jockeys to build more, and the design evolved into the Equicizer. Lovato originally manufactured Equicizers in his garage and could produce five a month, which were purchased by many top jockeys. In 2011 he sold the Equicizer to a company called Equisense, to be manufactured and marketed more widely.
Construction and operation
The Equicizer has a wooden body resembling the back of a horse in size and shape, covered with carpet, upon which a saddle is placed. The head is sculpted to look like a real horse, and the neck attaches to the horse body so that it pivots at the "shoulder", attached to springs inside the body that create resistance. It has no legs, and the rider takes the reins and pushes the neck to make it move. Instead of legs, it is suspended over a stationary frame, and stays in one place as it realistically simulates the movement of an actual horse.
Uses
Today, the Equicizer is used to train jockeys and rehabilitate riders. It is used by some therapeutic riding organizations for children and adults with disabilities. Lovato uses them in his own Jockey Boot Camp to introduce people to the work of a jockey in a safe manner that allows them to develop both basic skills and the required level of physical fitness to ride a real horse. Equicizers were also used in the movie Seabiscuit for all of the closeup racing scenes and in other parts of the film.