GLOSSARY OF TERMS for Writers (and
Readers)
In the interest of clarity and consistency, NARHA’s
Health and Education Committee has adopted the following suggested
glossary to describe the activities and participation within NARHA.
Using this terminology accurately in the context of your conference
abstract or presentation will greatly assist the NARHA Health and Education
Committee in evaluating your work. Please review these terms and use them when describing equine assisted
activities and programs.
Equine Assisted Activities (EAA)
– An umbrella term inclusive of all the various offerings of NARHA
centers and all of the equine activities and therapies designed for
people with disabilities or diverse needs. This term is accurately used
for making global statements about NARHA center activities. For
example, a NARHA center that offers therapeutic riding, vaulting and
hippotherapy can say that they offer equine assisted activities.
Therapeutic Horsemanship –
Equine activities
organized and taught by knowledgeable and skilled instructors to people
with disabilities or diverse needs. Students progress in equestrian
skills while improving:their cognitive, emotional, social and behavioral
skills.
Therapeutic Riding (TR)
– Mounted
activities including traditional riding disciplines or adaptive riding
activities conducted by a NARHA certified instructor.
Interactive Vaulting
– Horsemanship activities, movements around, on and off the horse or
barrel, and gymnastic positions on the back of the horse at the walk,
trot or canter. Interactive vaulting offers educational, social,
creative and movement opportunities for a varied population.
Therapeutic Driving – Activities related to carriage driving. Following NARHA Standards for driving conducted by a NARHA certified instructor. May be considered equine assisted therapy if driving activities are incorporated by a therapist into a treatment plan. May also be done in competition.
Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL)
– Includes
equine activities incorporating the experience of
equine/human interaction in an environment of learning or
self-discovery. EFL promotes personal exploration of feelings and
behaviors in an educational format. It is conducted by a NARHA certified
instructor, an educator or a therapist. Goals may be related to
self-improvement, social interaction and/or education.
Competition –
Individual or team sports at the local, regional,
national, or international level. Integrated or specialized competition
that can be breed or activity based.
Vocational Rehabilitation –
Equine related
activities that may include work hardening, work re-entry or vocational
exploration. Participants are young adults or adults. May be considered
equine assisted therapy if integrated by the therapist as part of a
treatment plan.
NARHA Center
– A center that has established membership with NARHA and agrees to
comply with the NARHA Standards.
NARHA Premiere Accredited Center -
A member center that has
been successfully evaluated to be in compliance with NARHA Standards. A
Premiere Accredited Center may use the NARHA logo and present itself as
an accredited member center.
NARHA Certified Instructor
– An instructor of
therapeutic horsemanship who is certified by NARHA at the Registered,
Advanced or Master level or who holds an approved adjunct certification.
Certification is in development for the NARHA instructor in interactive
vaulting and carriage driving.
Educator -
An educator/teacher licensed or sanctioned by the state,
school district, department of education or equivalent designation.
Horse handler, horse expert, equine professional, horse leader, equine
specialist –
Terms which may be used to indicate the person handling
the equine during a session and/or training and conditioning the equine
for participation in equine assisted activities. Usage may vary by
discipline. The HPOT session where a horse is long lined might have a
horse handler, whereas, the person leading the horse in a therapeutic
riding lesson may be the horse leader.
Equine
– A general description inclusive of horses, ponies, mules, donkeys, or
miniatures.
Of
special note: the equine is not inanimate, therefore, we refrain
from phrases such as ‘using the horse’ or ‘a pony is used’.
We might ‘use’ the movement of the horse, or we may ‘use’ examples of
equine behaviors, we do not ‘use’ the animal. Consider phrases such as:
work with the horse, equine partner, incorporating the equine, the horse
assisting the therapist, or the pony facilitating the therapy.
Participant
– A general description of the persons that take part in equine assisted
activities at a NARHA center for their benefit such as riders, vaulters,
or patients. There will be varied usage depending on the discipline.
For instance, in a therapy setting, it is appropriate to use patient or
client; in a school setting, one may use the term student.
Use
of terminology related to persons with disabilities will follow the
common usage by the World Health Organization (WHO) that is ‘people
first, disability or diagnosis second’. Preferred statement: ‘rider
with cerebral palsy’, Incorrect: ‘CP rider’.
Hippotherapy (HPOT)
– Hippotherapy is a physical, occupational or speech therapy treatment
strategy that utilizes equine movement. This strategy is used as part
of an integrated treatment program to achieve functional outcomes. (www.americanhippotherapyassociation.org)
Tandem Hippotherapy (T-HPOT)
– A treatment strategy in which the patient undergoes handling by the
therapist or skilled designee who is mounted on the horse behind the
patient.
Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT)
–
Treatment that incorporates equine activities and/or the equine
environment. Rehabilitative goals are related to the patient’s needs
and the medical professional’s standards of practice.
NARHA Registered Therapist
– A licensed therapist
or therapist assistant (PT, OT, SLP, COTA, PTA) who has registered with
NARHA upon completion of the AHA, Inc approved Hippotherapy coursework
and the requisite number of hours of practice in hippotherapy.
Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist
(HPCS) – An
experienced, licensed therapist (PT, OT, SLP) who has demonstrated an
advanced level of knowledge in hippotherapy by successfully completing a
national board written examination.
Equine Facilitated Mental Health (EFMH)
– Inclusive of equine assisted activities and therapies with a focus on
mental health issues.
Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy (EFP)
- Experiential psychotherapy that includes equine(s). It may include,
but is not limited to, a number of mutually respectful equine activities
such as handling, grooming, lunging, riding, driving, and vaulting. EFP
is facilitated by a licensed/credentialed mental health professional
working with an appropriately credentialed equine professional.
Mental Health Professional –
A licensed and/or
credentialed medical professional who specializes in the treatment of
individuals with psychiatric, psychological, emotional or behavioral
diagnoses.
Therapeutic -
An activity is therapeutic if a participant derives
benefit, shows improvement or feels better once engaged. An activity can
be therapeutic without being considered as therapy. In general, EAAs may
be described as therapeutic, but they are not therapy or is not
considered treatment without fulfilling specific requirements. (See
Therapy, defined below)
Therapy
– Claims of providing therapy or treatment, or billing for services with
a third party may be done only by a licensed/credentialed professional
such as a PT, OT, SLP, psychologist, social worker, MD, among others.
Laws differ by state. If non-licensed/credentialed personnel claim to be
doing therapy or providing treatment, this is often considered
fraudulent.
Treatment
- Services in which therapy is provided. Generally
thought of in a medical model. (See Therapy)
Terms to avoid . . . .
Hippotherapist/Equine Therapist/Equine Assisted Psychotherapist
– These terms (and other similar terms) are never to be used, as there
are no such professions, professional education or licensing in North
America. An appropriate description would be the therapist first
(recognized profession) with the equine assisted therapy following (i.e.
PT using HPOT, Clinical psychologist doing EFP)
Modality -
Within Hippotherapy, the use of the movement of the
horse is defined as a tool rather than a modality. Legally,
hippotherapy or the use of the movement of the horse is not a modality,
and the term modality should not be used. Additionally, the equine is
not the tool; the movement and/or the behavior of the
horse is the therapeutic tool. (See Equine)
Classic
or Classical Hippotherapy – These terms were used
at one time by the American Hippotherapy Association (AHA) to
differentiate types of hippotherapy practiced. It is no longer necessary
to make this distinction and the term Hippotherapy is inclusive
of all variations as long as the discipline fits the definition as
outlined by the AHA, Inc. (see Hippotherapy)
Using the horse/the horse is used –
The equine is a sentient
being, and participates in EAA by facilitating or assisting in the
provision of services. Humane treatment during NARHA activities is
quintessential, including respectful verbage in discussing the equine’s
participation.
