SEAT is a PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International) member center. SEAT is also a member of the PATH group "Horses for Heroes".

What is Therapeutic Riding?

In an Equine Assisted Activities program, a certified or specially trained riding instructor teaches children and adults with a disabilities how to ride a horse. However, the environment of the horse can provide more than just riding skills. The programs which offer the equine environment to people with disabilities can teach companionship, responsibility, leadership, vocational, educational skills as well as offer competition venues in the different horse disciplines.

Riding a horse provides a unique and often profound recreational or leisure activity for many people. There are many sports which people who have disabilities can participate in for enhancing their lives which offer social and physical fitness as addressed in the Special Olympic programs for people with a cognitive disability. There are hundreds of programs around the world as well as many organizations dedicated to the various forms of horse riding or horse care which address many other disabilities and may not have a cognitive disability.

The student who interacts with their horse may extend this to others and to form meaningful relationships with people. Building a relationship with an animal is very rewarding in many aspects; for a person with an emotional, social or psychological disability, the trust and loyalty of an animal demonstrates to the student how important they are and then they may extend these attributes to personal relationships. Horses also help people feel in control of their situation because there is a direct correlation between action and reaction. To learn how to care for and ride a horse, a student must also be able to communicate efficiently with the horse and the instructor. In this way, riding is a very social activity, but is less daunting to people who are uncomfortable in social situations. However, the experience of riding a horse is very different. Riding helps to empower people and enables them to connect on a personal level. The sometimes unpredictable nature of animals and situations also creates a real-life environment in which students will be able to confront fears and make adjustments to situations beyond their control.

This is way more than a pony ride... Our therapeutic program provides healthy exercise to individuals with disabilities by allowing them to participate in the sport of horseback riding in a loving a rewarding environment. However, there is much more to therapeutic riding than the enjoyment of the ride, which is inherently physically exciting.

We know that therapeutic riding offers the following:

• Improves balance and coordination
• Provides passive stretch for tight muscles
• Replicates a muscle movement pattern like that of walking
• Improves posture
• Strengthens muscles by encouraging muscular response
• Increases awareness of one's body in space
• Stimulates the vesicular, nervous and circulatory systems
• Improves range of motion

All these measurable physical benefits come without the rider even being aware of what is happening. The benefits are not only physical in nature, there are emotional and psychological benefits as well. Therapeutic riding reinforces standards of behavior such as:

• Teaches trust through the rider/horse bond 
• Teaches problem solving skills
• Increases self-confidence and self-discipline
• Teaches the use of patience to control the horse
• Enhances decision making skills
• Promotes responsibility and cooperation
• Increases the ability to focus and stay on task
• Provides an increase in self-esteem and pride
• Instills a sense of accomplishment

History

The term "Therapeutic Riding" originally was used in Germany. This was to address orthopedic dysfunction for people,such as scoliosis. The physician would have a physiotherapist and a specially trained horse and instructor to address the strength and orthopedic dysfunction for a patient for one year. After a year the patient was discharged. The physiotherapist worked with the physician and the patient to attain the patient's goals and the instructor was responsible for the horse.

PATH categorizes these services into two general categories, Equine Assisted Activity and Equine Assisted Therapy. Equine Assisted Activities are those services provided by a trained professional focusing on recreational, leisure, sport or education. Examples of Equine Assisted Activities are: therapeutic horse back riding, carriage driving, vaulting and equine facilitated learning. These activities are guided by an educational or learning model. Skills are taught to riders, vaulters and students. The professional guiding the experience is a specially trained PATH certified instructor. The professionals’ expertise provides them with training in specialized, adaptive teaching methods that allow people with a variety of disabilities to learn horsemanship skills and experience the equine environment.

Laura Allen is our PATH Certified Instructor.