The North American Riding for the Handicapped Association NARHA was formed in 1969 to promote and support equine facilitated activities for individuals with disabilities. NARHA, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, administers an operating center accreditation program and provides a therapeutic riding instructor certification program.
The Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA) is a recent outgrowth of NARHA.
EFMHA is a globally recognized organization that promotes health by bringing people and equines together in mutually beneficial ways.
EFMHA is an active membership organization serving the needs of its members, mental health, education, and equine professionals.
EFMHA's Mission Is:
To promote professionally facilitated equine experiences designed to enhance psychosocial development, growth and education.
To educate others to work with the horse in the treatment of people with emotional, behavioral, social, mental, physical and/or spiritual needs.
To establish a library of instructional, certification, research, diagnostic and safety materials supporting all aspects of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy.
To set standards of horse knowledge, including selection, training and stable management, pertaining directly to Equine Facilitated Mental Health programs.
To provide a foundation to see Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP) into the future.
If you would like to learn more about NARHA, EAAT, or EFMHA, please visit the NARHA web site.
Therapeion Therapeutic Riding Center, Inc. is a NARHA member center. Its director, Lizabeth Marks-Shepard, is a NARHA certified therapeutic riding instructor and an EFMHA member.
The Benefits of Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT)
The History of NARHA and EFMHA
Therapeutic riding, which originated in Europe, has been actively helping individuals with disabilities since the 1950's. Therapeutic riding uses equine-oriented activities for the purpose of contributing positively to the cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well being of people with disabilities and emotional issues.
Equestrian therapy requires the participant to address issues such as communication, trust, honesty, accountability, responsibility, patience, relationships, self respect, respect for others, self confidence, anger, and social skills.
Horses are large and often intimidation animals. Interacting with a horse challenges issues of fear and self confidence.
Horses are responsive to human emotions and non verbal communication. Participants can not fool a horse, can not bully or manipulate a horse, forcing participants to learn positive and productive communication skills. Horses do not respond well to mixed signals, so learning to ride and handle a horse forces the participants to communicate clearly.
Horses are non-judgmental. Horses teach empathy and patience.
In order to mount a horse the rider must first overcome their fear and learn to trust both their volunteer mentors and their horse.
Learning to work with horses builds self confidence and raises self esteem. Participants learn to work through fear, set goals, and achieve those goals.
Horse therapy has gained respect and acceptance around the globe and continues to expand into new and exciting areas.
Persons with disabilities benefit physically and emotionally from therapeutic riding activities. Horseback activities encourage stretching and strengthening of underused or underdeveloped muscles, improve posture and coordination, help develop gross and fine motor skills, increase the riders awareness of their body in space, and improve their range of motion. In addition, riders with disabilities increase their self esteem and self confidence, learn problem solving skills, and increase their ability to focus and stay on task. All of this while they are having fun!
Though the respect and acceptance of the benefits of therapeutic riding by persons in the medical, educational, and social services fields, the number of programs in the country continues to grow. This respect and acceptance, coupled with the continued dedication of volunteers, staff and supporters, helps to ensure that riders will continue to have the opportunity to benefit from their relationship with the horse.
There are over five hundred therapeutic riding programs in the United States. They vary widely as to the populations they serve, the goals they set for their riders, and in how they deliver their services. Most programs place a high degree of emphasis on the combination of learning a rewarding activity while attaining the best physical and functional levels possible. Most programs in United States choose to belong to the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA), which sets accreditation standards for therapeutic riding programs and certification standards for instructors. If a center is also providing mental health services they may choose to offer services under the EFMHA guidelines.
THERAPEION THERAPEUTIC RIDING CENTER
A portion of this information was borrowed from the NARHA web site
