NAHRA Glossary

locations at which center activities are being provided

Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law in 1990, which provided the world’s fi rst
comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities

any working space with designated boundaries

a working space defi ned by structural barriers used for program activities

American Society for Testing and Materials, an organization that helps establish standards for
various items, including components of helmets (see SEI)

the NARHA Certifi ed Instructor assists the therapist during the treatment session (if the
therapist is not a NARHA Certifi ed Instructor). The NARHA Certifi ed Instructor should be directly
involved in the treatment session to assure safety regarding the equine, tack and equine environment.
This includes helping with the preparation of the equine/equipment, direct involvement in the session or
visual observation of the session.

a structured organization that provides equine assisted activities and therapies to persons with
disabilities and persons without disabilities

all events, instructional lessons, therapy sessions or other functions involving
participants occurring under the leadership or supervision of center personnel

the person(s) responsible for developing and implementing the policies and
procedures used in managing the work of the organization

the individual who is determined by the center to be responsible for the
accreditation process and on-site visit

individual or team sports at the local, regional, national, or international level; integrated
or specialized competition that can be breed or activity based

providing assistance by providing professional expertise. This may include answering
questions related to general health issues, health questions related to specific participants, doing
evaluations with recommendations regarding handling or activities, recommendations for health and
safety of the staff/volunteers, etc.

to have within; hold

a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties

to indicate and set apart for a specific purpose; to point out

see Licensed/Credentialed Health Professional

the certified instructor is at the activity site and is aware of and responsible for
the program activity in the arena and on the premises

to release or dismiss

activities related to carriage driving. Following NARHA Standards for Driving conducted
by a NARHA Certifi ed 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.

an educator/teacher licensed or sanctioned by the state, school district, department of
education or equivalent designation

a general description inclusive of horses, ponies, mules, donkeys or miniatures

any activity that involves an equine

general heading for, and frequent name of, a state statute governing
liabilities for equine activities and, in many instances, mandating the usage of “warning” signs and
requiring the use of special language in certain contracts used in equine activities

any specifi c center activity, i.e. therapeutic riding, mounted or
ground activities, therapy, grooming & stable management, shows, parades, demonstrations, etc. in
which the center’s clients, participants, volunteers, instructors, and equines are involved

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

an educational approach that includes equine facilitated
activities incorporating the experience of equine/human interaction in an environment of learning or
self-discovery. EFL encourages personal exploration of feelings and behaviors to help promote human
growth and development. It may be conducted by a NARHA certifi ed instructor, an educator, a coach or
a therapist with special training in partnership with horses to address mental health needs. Goals may be
related to self-improvement, social interaction, increased awareness and/or education.

inclusive of equine assisted activities and therapies with
a focus on mental health issues

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, lungeing/longeing, riding, driving, and vaulting. (EFP is facilitated by a licensed/credentialed
mental health professional working with an appropriately credentialed equine professional). Although
EFP may encompass many different activities, the activities themselves are not the goal. Rather, these
activities assist reaching the psychotherapy goals set by the mental health professional and the client.

any building or parcel of land on which the center conducts its activities and business

the person who stands at the equine’s head, during halts, that is responsible for keeping the
equine relaxed and still

See Licensed/Credentialed Health Professional

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.

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

those involved in the provision of hippotherapy services. Prior to the
hippotherapy session, the team will be the NARHA Certifi ed Instructor and the therapist (if the therapist
is not a NARHA Certifi ed Instructor). During the hippotherapy session, the hippotherapy team is most
often the therapist, the equine handler, the sidewalkers—all those involved with providing services to the patient. In decision making, the patient is often thought of as a part of the hippotherapy team.

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 equine is long lined might have
a horse handler, whereas, the person leading the equine in a therapeutic riding lesson may be the horse
leader.

a candidate who has successfully completed phase one of the Registered Instructor Certification process

a process that engages participants in horsemanship activities, movements
around, on and off the equine or barrel and gymnastics positions on the back of the equine. The
specially trained equine works in a circle on a lunge/longe line at the walk, trot or canter. This dynamic
environment offers educational, social, creative, and movement opportunities. The use of Interactive
Vaulting for individuals with disabilities varies depending on the population served and the goals
obtained.

NARHA site visitor who is assigned to the administrative responsibilities of the visit by the Accreditation Sub-Committee

refers to physical therapists, occupational therapists,
speech-language pathologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, physicians, nurses and rehabilitation specialists. Health professionals providing direct service “therapy” through equine activities should have additional specialized training in the use of the equine as a component of treatment in their respective areas of expertise.

that person at a center empowered to sign contracts and legal documents for the organization

a licensed and/or credentialed medical professional who specializes in the treatment of individuals with psychiatric, psychological, emotional or behavioral diagnoses. Those
psychiatrists, psychotherapists, mental health counselors and others having met the criteria to legally and independently provide psychotherapy and/or mental health counseling, and mental health treatment, in the state in which the services are being delivered.

a center that has established membership with NARHA and agrees to comply with the NARHA Standards

an instructor of therapeutic horsemanship who is certified by NARHA at the registered, advanced or master level or who holds an approved adjunct certification

an individual who fulfills the membership requirements associated with NARHA

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

an event that disrupts normal procedure or causes a crisis

location where administrative or other functions of a center occur

a general description of the persons that take part in equine assisted activities at a NARHA center for their benefit such as riders, vaulters, clients 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.

a person, paid or unpaid, who has any responsibility related to the day-to-day activities of the center

to fasten up in a place of the public view; to put up signs

visitor selection from files representing a cross section of center documents

a practice exercise

Safety Equipment Institute, an organization which certifies certain types of equipment, including
equestrian protective headgear (see ASTM)

to be placed in an area that would not allow for unauthorized use or loss

NARHA individual members who successfully complete a visitor
training course and are approved by the NARHA Accreditation Sub-Committee. These individuals
volunteer to visit and score centers according to current accreditation standards.

a treatment strategy in which the therapist sits on the equine
behind the patient in order to provide specific therapeutic handling as part of an integrated treatment protocol If the therapist (PT, OT, or SLP) is unable to be mounted, they will directly supervise the patient handling by another Therapist Aid (TA), in compliance with their state practice act. Additional personnel required for T-HPOT include a NARHA certified riding instructor or equine expert who handles the equine, two sidewalkers (one of whom may be the therapist) to assist with safety, and a specifically trained, conditioned equine. For this definition, therapist or TA refers to the person on the equine behind
the patient.
The therapist determines if T-HPOT is indicated for the patient and consults with the NARHA recognized certified instructor or equine handler to establish if the facility has the resources to conduct a safe T-HPOT session and to choose the appropriate equine.
T-HPOT exposes the therapist or TA and the patient to greater risk than other types of equine assisted
activities and therapies and should be undertaken only with the utmost caution and consideration for
safety. Because two people are on the equine, it is more stressful on the equine than other activities, and
should be done only with equines adequately conformed, trained and conditioned for the task. Because
of these stress and safety factors, T-HPOT should be chosen only after exhausting other options for
treatment, and should be self-limiting with the expectation that the patient will quickly progress from this intervention.

the person that is trained and directly supervised by the therapist to perform specific patient handling skills in a situation where the therapist is unable to perform the task. An example may be that the TA would handle the patient during a T-HPOT session when the therapist may not be tall enough to work with a patient safely on the equine.

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 are not considered treatment without fulfilling specific
requirements (see Therapy).

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.

mounted activities including traditional riding disciplines or adaptive riding
activities conducted by a NARHA Certified Instructor.

providing therapy or treatment, or billing for services with a third party may be done by a licensed/credentialed professional such as a PT, OT, SLP, psychologist, social worker, MD, among others. Laws differ by state.

services in which therapy is provided; generally thought of in a medical model. (see
Therapy)

the plan of care should be specific to the diagnosis, presenting
symptoms, and findings of the therapy evaluation. The physical, occupational, speech therapist involves the patient/client and appropriate others in the planning, implementation, and assessment of the treatment plan. The treatment plan should include:
• Evaluation/assessment
• Functional limitations
• The specific treatment techniques and/or exercises to be used in treatment to reach goals/treatment
strategies
• Outcomes/goals
• Duration/frequency
• Discharge criteria

the period of time in which professional therapy services are provided. This will always involve the therapist and may involve others, depending on the nature of the treatment and the needs of the therapist.

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.

unpaid individual who, under the direction of the center administration, assists with the ongoing
activities of the center

the location where mounted lessons are being held