THE TEAM

Equine Assisted Therapy is a team effort! Every member of the team has a vital and indispensable role. Team Members include:

The Horses

• The horses are at the core of any Equine Assisted Therapy program.
• Just as participants come in all shapes and sizes and have a variety of abilities and challenges, we need horses in various shapes and sizes with differing skills.

However, all of our horses share one thing – their calm and gentle disposition.

The Participants

• We refer to participants as “patients” or “clients” depending on the goals/focus of their program.

The Volunteers

• If the horses are the heart of the program, the volunteers are the SOUL!!!!!
• Without volunteers, there are no Equine Assisted Therapy programs!

The Therapists

• The therapists are licensed in Physical, Occupational or Speech Therapy and have additional, specific training in Equine Assisted Therapies.

The Therapeutic Riding Instructors

• Instructors are Certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) and participate in on-going trainings.

Family, Caregivers, and other Supportive People

• Family members/caregivers and other support people from the community are integral in the development of a need-specific and success-oriented program for each individual client/ patient.
• These people may or may not participate on site.
• STS encourages participation by family members, etc. in some cases.
• Benefits to the patients/clients positively affect family members, caregivers, and those in the support: network. Some of the benefits include:
• As a participant develops physical skills and self-reliance, daily burdens are eased
• As a participant’s anger and frustration are eased, the responsibilities/duties of the caregivers, etc. are also eased
• Meeting other families/caregivers in similar situations allows for opportunities to share information, encouragement, and support