Australia's Beverley Manners Receives her new Equicizer, "Mate"

My Best Mate
by Beverley Manners

I want to share with everyone how much my new ‘Mate’ means to me and the difference he is already making in my life in the few short weeks since he has come from America to me here in Australia.  I’ll try not to make it too long, but it may be difficult to fully express how much this ‘mechanical horse’ is doing for me!

When I was twenty eight years old I was involved in a car accident, which broke my neck and gave me a whiplash of my lower spine.  I loved and ridden horses since I was a child, doing Dressage and Hacking, but the following twenty five years were difficult ones, and I wasn’t able to either ride or handle horses.  I missed them terribly!

One day as I was sitting chatting with a friend at the front of her house, someone rode close by the house on a big chestnut horse. It was sunny and the horse was sweating.  The smell of leather and horse sweat wafted to my nostrils and I felt such a stirring in my spirit that I decided then and there that I simply must ride again, no matter what it took.

My first couple of attempts put me back into hospital and the doctor advised me to give up my intention of riding ever again.  But the urge was strong and I just couldn’t give up my dream to feel the beautiful bond of horse and rider again.  I found a good chiropractor who helped me, and my daughter introduced me to Quarter Horses.  She told me that they have such smooth movement and quiet natures, and the Western style of riding was so relaxed that she thought this was the way I should go.

A long search over more than a year for the right horse resulted in a 9 yr old first cross Quarter Horse gelding named Yulgilbar Pablo coming into my life.  I did more than ride again; Pablo and I competed in shows, and over the next seven years, picked up many Hi Points and other major awards throughout Australia.  We performed at expos, and Pony Clubs with me riding Pablo without a bridle, and we also featured in a ten minute special on Channel Seven’s “Talk to the Animals” television program. 

2003 saw the beginning of a two year layoff from physical activities and there was no riding for me.  My age, then 63 years old, and such a long period of physical inactivity combined to stiffen my body and atrophy my muscles.  The first time I tried to mount a horse again, my whole body froze in a cramp of pain and it took two people to drag me off the back of my horse.  This time, I thought, it was all over.  I would never ride again.

Then in November of 2005, I accidentally came across Frankie’s website and saw the wonderful work he does, building the Equicizer, a mechanical horse which moves in response to the rider's action. I read all the information on the website, watched the video clips and started to feel excited!  This was a way I could exercise and stretch my muscles, in exactly the same way as riding a real horse!

I can’t praise Frank Lovato too highly for the professional and extremely caring way he worked with me whilst he built my new ‘Mate’.  Firstly, before accepting my order, he asked me to explain to him exactly what my problems are and how I expected the Equicizer to help me.  Once satisfied that my expectations were not unrealistic, he started to build the Equicizer.  His attention to detail was extraordinary and I soon realized the loving care that goes into building his horses and ponies.  He said he wanted to replicate my favorite horse as closely as possible.  He even asked for a photograph so that he could paint the face markings exactly the same, and because I told him I do Western riding, he put a beautiful piece of silver across the brow band of Mate’s bridle.  He emailed me photos along the way, making sure colors were what I wanted, and it was an incredibly exciting and enjoyable experience whilst I was waiting for the big day when Mate would actually arrive.  When he was unpacked and stood there before me in my dining room, I was so impressed!  His beautiful mane which flows exactly the same way as a real horse in motion, the pricked ears, and the glorious finish and polish on his exquisitely carved head thrilled me so much that I can’t even explain in words how it made me feel.

I have a fairly small house, and emptied my dining room to be Mate’s ‘stable’ and so that I could ride in all weathers, and even while watching my favorite TV program, “McCleods Daughters” (set on a large farm in Australia).

The first few tries, I was too stiff to mount Mate, so I’d just put one foot in the stirrup and stand up in the stirrup on both sides of the horse, for a few minutes to stretch my leg muscles. I couldn’t put my right leg over the horse’s back.  Frankie kept in close touch by email, to make sure I wasn’t overdoing it, and day by day I could feel my body loosening and stretching until one day after about one week, I actually slid my right leg over the back of the saddle and there I was, astride my new Mate!  The feeling is difficult to describe, but was one of exhilaration. After about two minutes I had to dismount by inching my right leg over the horse’s neck and sliding down front wards.

As I write this, it is three weeks later, and I can mount and dismount from both sides, and ride Mate for periods of fifteen to twenty minutes at a brisk canter.  I can also do leg swinging exercises and canter for as long as I like, sitting sidesaddle.

There is absolutely no way that I could have progressed to this level on a flesh and blood horse, and I simply can not describe how much Frankie and Sandy mean to me and what they have done for me in providing me with this wonderful Equicizer from the other side of the world.

It is still early days for riding my outside horse, but the way things are going, I am optimistic that it will only be a couple of months before I will be supple enough and confident enough to ride again in the big outdoors.

To anyone considering an Equicizer or Equipony, I can only say….do it!  And Frankie and Sandy, may God bless you abundantly, for the work you are doing. Keep it up!

Sincerely,
Beverley Manners
Darnum Victoria Australia
10th December, 2005