June has been another full and varied month across Hobbs Rehabilitation, with teams working across clinical settings, outdoor environments, events, and conferences. From adaptive sport and technology to hydrotherapy and equine therapy, there’s been no shortage of activity or progress.
Exploring diverse rehab environments at Chedington
Over at Chedington the facilities continue to offer a rich and varied rehabilitation environment.
The site provides opportunities to work across uneven and natural terrain, including woodland and garden spaces (alongside the well-known bog garden). These settings are particularly valuable for progressing mobility in more complex real-world conditions, while also offering a calm space for reflection and mindfulness.
Across the month, wheelchair tennis sessions continued to provide an engaging and competitive outlet for rehabilitation and adaptive cycling sessions also formed part of the rehab here, supporting balance, coordination, and confidence in dynamic environments.
Adaptive sport, technology, and Strolll 2.0
There was also further development and filming with Tom from Strolll, focusing on Strolll 2.0 — an augmented reality system designed to support gait, balance, and upper limb coordination.
The technology enables task-specific training that can be adapted across environments, helping to bridge the gap between clinical rehabilitation and real-world function. These principles were also reflected in adaptive paddle boarding sessions, where patients applied balance and coordination skills in a challenging outdoor setting.
Introducing Apache
A new addition to the equine therapy programme was welcomed this month with the arrival of Apache, a therapy horse who will support ongoing equine-assisted rehabilitation and adaptive riding work.
Early interactions have highlighted a calm and responsive temperament, and the wider herd has also shown plenty of interest, marking a positive start to his role within the programme.
Hydrotherapy at Bristol
Regular hydrotherapy sessions continued at Freeways Bristol, where the warm-water environment supports low-impact rehabilitation.
Hydrotherapy remains an effective setting for working on gait retraining, posture control, strength, and overall mobility, with reduced load through buoyancy allowing for more focused movement practice.
Within these sessions, Caro supported patient work toward their goals of increasing lower limb mobility and strength, while occupational therapy input from Jamie focused on functional goal setting — including a patient working towards returning to boxing training.
Conferences and professional development
Team members also attended several key events this month, including:
- Guttmann Conference for Spinal Injury Rehabilitation — attended by Zara, Ed, and Ali
- Dorset Orthopaedic ‘The Power of Time’ Rehabilitation Conference — attended by Mark and Caro
Both conferences provided opportunities to engage with current research, share clinical practice, and explore emerging rehabilitation technologies. Hands-on exposure to equipment such as an ExoMotus M4 exoskeleton from Thor Assistive Technologies and reactive training tools like blaze pods supported wider discussion around innovation in neurorehabilitation.
Equine therapy milestone at Avon Riding Centre
The month concluded with a session at the Avon Riding Centre for the Disabled, where equine-assisted rehabilitation was delivered using a mechanical horse.
This session marked an important milestone for one patient, returning to riding activity for the first time since injury. The experience highlighted both physical and psychological progress, with strong postural control and improved confidence in the saddle.
Looking ahead
June has reflected the breadth of rehabilitation across Hobbs Rehabilitation — combining clinical work, community-based therapy, and innovative technologies.
There’s plenty more ahead as the work continues into July.