A 21-YEAR-OLD student from Stow has created a 'revolutionary' chair to provide equine therapy for autistic children.

Callum Hunter, who studies at Edinburgh Napier University has designed the 'U Rock', a therapy chair that replicates the movement of a horse when walking.

The fourth year student made a prototype of chair as part of his final year project at University. The chair could be used to take equine therapy into the home for children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Equine therapy is considered as an effective treatment for children with autism, with the rhythmic motion of riding a horse helping calm and soothe those affected by the condition.

Callum was inspired to design the chair after seeing the positive effect that equine therapy had on children affected by autism.

He said: “As part of my research, I visited an equine therapy centre and saw first-hand the positive benefits that this brought in helping calm and relax children whilst they ride. However, I was also aware of the challenges that are faced by families when travelling to the centres so I came up with the idea of designing a chair that brings most, if not all of the benefits of the therapy closer to home.

“The chair follows the rhythm of motion you get from riding a horse in an effort to relax a child when they use it – just in the same way that cradling a young baby does. It’s faced with soft material. In equine therapy they often use sheepskin saddles as it helps store heat from the horse better than leather as warmth adds to the comfort of the experience. I’ve tried to make it as realistic a representation as possible.

“The chair is designed with autistic children in mind but it is suitable for all. There is nothing worse than a child being made to sit in a ‘special chair’ so producing something that was inclusive was essential to the project.”

He added: “It's the little things that can make a massive difference to someone’s day-to-day life and hopefully the chair can do just that.”