North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc. (NARHA)

Since 1969, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc. (NARHA), has provided equine assisted activity (EAA) programs in the United States and Canada through its network of more than 700 member centers. Each year, dozens of new centers initiate new programs and more than 36,000 individuals with disabilities benefit from activities which include therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, equine assisted psychotherapy, driving, interactive vaulting, and competition.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, NARHA’s mission is to “change and enrich lives by promoting excellence in equine assisted activities.” To accomplish this mission, NARHA fosters safe, professional, ethical and therapeutic equine activities through education, communication, research and standards. The association ensures its standards are met through an accreditation process for centers and a certification process for instructors.

A section of NARHA, the Equine Facilitated Mental Health Association (EFMHA), founded in 1996, provides equine-facilitated psychotherapy (EFP) for people with psychological issues and mental health needs, including anxiety, depression, and autism. EFP is facilitated by a licensed, credentialed mental health professional that works with an appropriately credentialed equine professional, or is dually credentialed as an equine professional.

History
The therapeutic value of horseback riding goes back centuries although the origin of organized therapeutic riding is relatively recently. The achievements of Liz Hartel of Denmark are generally regarded as the impetus for the formation of therapeutic riding centers in Europe. Polio impaired Hartel’s mobility but not her spirit. In 1952, she won the silver medal for Grand Prix dressage at the Helsinki Olympics. Medical and equine professional took notice and soon centers for therapeutic riding sprang up in Europe.

Canadians and Americans studied what was happening in England and quickly made plans to start centers. Two of the first were the Community Association of Riding for the Disabled (CARD) in Toronto, Ontario, organized by J.J. Bauer and Dr. R.E. Renaud, and the Cheff Center for the Handicapped in Augusta, Michigan, with Lida McCowan as executive director.

Recognizing the need for an organization to act as a clearinghouse for information on therapeutic riding, 23 individuals gathered at the Red Fox Inn in Middleberg, Virginia on November 2, 1969, and laid the groundwork for NARHA. Today, many medical professionals, including the American Physical Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association, recognize the therapeutic value of equine assisted activities.

NARHA Today
In its ongoing support of research and education in EAA, NARHA hosts a four-day annual that draws close to 600 national and international participants to share the latest studies and advances in the field of equine assisted activities. In November 14-17, 2007, attendees will convene in Anaheim, California, to “Appreciate the Power of the Horse to Change LivesTM.” In addition, each of NARHA’s 11 regions hosts an annual conference that promotes continuing education for EAA professionals and adherence to NARHA standards.

To further advance the study of the effectiveness of EAA, NARHA publishes a quarterly publication, STRIDES, and encourages ongoing research. Most recently NARHA published Resources for Research and Education in Equine Assisted Activities & Therapy, a comprehensive 100-page international bibliography, compiled by Beth Macauley, Ph.D., CC-SLIP, HPCS. In 2006, NARHA was awarded a $5,000 Quality of Life Grant from the Christopher Reeve Foundation to develop The Parental and Professional Information Resource Guide.

Last year, two NARHA centers and one NARHA Advanced Riding Instructor offered pilot therapeutic riding programs to wounded U.S. veterans, demonstrating how broadly the umbrella of EAA can touch people’s lives. The sessions were so successful that Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. is considering adding therapeutic riding to its rehabilitation program.

With the explosion of interest in EAA, NARHA centers and EAA have been spotlighted in numerous national magazines, such as Reader’s Digest, Practical Horseman, and Blaze Magazine and TV shows, including Good Morning America and the Saddle Club TV series. Palaestra Magazine, which covers issues related to athletes with disabilities, launched in 2006 a regular department written by NARHA’s Health & Education Committee called “Humans, Horses and Health.” NARHA’s Horse Ambassador, Nevada Joe, a former wild mustang adopted by Ernie and Diane Purcelli, continues to give therapeutic riding demonstrations at shows throughout the U.S.

Future Trends
In response to this public attention, EAA, NARHA has increased its support to regions and centers and reorganized its center accreditation and instructor certification procedures. Currently NARHA certifies instructors in three specialty areas--Riding, Driving and Interactive Vaulting—and is developing a certification for a fourth specialty, Equine Specialist. In the next decade, the association expects the rapid interest in driving to accelerate and foresees increasing growth in the Equine Specialist area.

As one of the global authorities in the EAA field, NARHA belong to the worldwide Federation for Riding for the Disabled International (FRDI). NARHA has been certifying instructors outside the U.S. for many years and has four international center members. However, in 2006 NARHA welcomed its first international accredited center, the Fundació Teràpia A C@vall in Barcelona, Spain, and expects that this kind of global accreditation will only expand.

For the next three to five years, NARHA will be focusing on tactics to achieve the three major goals outlined in a strategic plan that was launched in 2006: (1) Enhancing NARHA’s leadership capabilities within the EAA industry, (2) providing greater value and more effective service to members and (3) building the infrastructure to enhance capacity for organizational growth.

NARHA is proud to provide opportunities for people with varying ability levels to challenge themselves physically and emotionally and to set goals to improve their quality of life via the horse. Training professionals to support and facilitate this process, educating the public about the positive impact of the human/animal bond and setting national standards for safe and effective equine facilitated therapy/activities will continue to dictate NARHA’s growth.