The Evolution of NL and What it Means for You

by Bettina Shultz-Jobe, LPC, NBCC | May 20, 2022 | The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

Natural Lifemanship® has evolved—and our new branding reflects these changes.  It is my deepest hope that these changes stir a transformation in you.  For decades, we have shared our unique principles with clients and practitioners around the world, teaching the power of connected relationships and watching with awe and wonder as our world heals and grows one relationship at a time.  While our practice and teaching is ever-evolving, moving with each new shift in the universe, and adjusting to the impact of those shifts on the mental health and wellness of our communities, the platform from which we shared our work became outdated. Our website did not offer enough guidance for professionals to find the tools and trainings that would best meet their needs. Although many have found what they needed, and began a journey with us, we often received feedback that the process of committing was time-consuming and confusing.  This has changed.   The breath that comes into my body when I say that is lovely, so I’ll say it again.  THIS. HAS. CHANGED!

Our Tagline is an Invitation 

As we move into this exciting chapter, we invite you to “walk with us.” Our tagline acts as an open invitation for those who wish to build their life and practice on a foundation of essential principles. With a principle-based process, the journey of learning is ongoing – we will walk with you every step of the way. Our trainings are designed to meet you where you are and guide you to where you want to go – there is no “one size fits all” approach. Our seasoned trainers are ready to support your unique personal and professional growth.  

Our Logo is a Symbol of Who We Are, Together 

Developing a logo is a process of exploring one’s identity – when we began creating our new logo, the NL team members each saw something different.  It was intended to be a hoof, but the image allowed us to also see a thumb print, ripples in the water, as well as a representation of movement in general. The abstract nature of our logo is intentional – we have created something we hope you will identify with, no matter where you are on your journey.   Whether you see the hoofprint of the remarkable equines with whom we share this process, or the ripples of healing that we as practitioners initiate in our field of work, or something else entirely…we do not just welcome you to NL, we are building our organization with you in mind.

The Look and Feel is Grounding

The earth tones we have incorporated into our brand are reflective of our love of and belonging in nature, and our continual pursuit of a grounded approach to healing. The feel of our new site is a reminder of the landscape that shelters us, the plants and animals with whom we share our lives, and in particular, the equines with whom we have the privilege of being partnered.  We are committed to continuing our evolution – to always growing so that we are better prepared to nurture your growth.  Together, we can create ripples that spread far and wide.  

We Have a Path for You

When you visit our site, you will see a deep commitment to the Equine Assisted Services (EAS) field and an opportunity for you to start or continue your EAS journey. A quiz has been designed to help you better understand your needs and how Natural Lifemanship can support you.  We’ve designed an interactive experience on our training page where you can choose one of four designated training paths, or create your own.  Our certification path is simplified and clear, and NL membership is offering more community and live contact and support from our trainers (including Tim and me) than ever before. Additionally, we’ve included videos and testimonials throughout the site to explain what sets us apart, and why that matters to your life and practice.  See our evolution for yourself and learn how we can support you on your own unique and sacred journey.  We are so honored to get to walk with you!

Equine Assisted Services, Equine Assisted Therapy, Equine Assisted Learning, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy: What’s in a Name?

by Laura McFarland | Dec 16, 2021 | The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

And be just as thorny….

Okay –  I’ll admit I added that last part to Juliet’s musings. She was obviously too lovestruck to think about thorns.

But seriously, names may be, well, nominal, but they do carry meaning and the way they are used can be consequential in both intended and unintended ways.

Here at the Natural Lifemanship Institute, we have been contemplating, discussing and discerning our response to the terminology debate initiated by the consensus document.* 

*Not sure what the “consensus document” is? We summarized and discussed the article in our blog published on April 16th, 2021. You can also find a link to the original article there.

As promised, we are ready to share our response and how we arrived at the choices we are making with respect to how we talk about what we do, and what we teach.

If you’re not familiar with the context for this discussion, please read our blog published April 16th, first. Keep reading for a summary of the recommendations in a nutshell. 

The Consensus Document’s Recommendations in a Nutshell

1. Equine-assisted Services is the optimal unifying term when referring to two or more services. It is too imprecise to be used to describe one program or distinct type of service. Equine-assisted services include:
   1. Therapy services. Therapy is conducted by licensed professional therapists in any of these fields: counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, and speech-language pathology. Therapists should always use therapy-first language (e.g., physical therapy using equine movement, psychotherapy incorporating horses, occupational therapy in equine environments) when referring to their services.
   2. Equine-assisted learning is a subcategory of EA services inclusive of three types of non-therapy services conducted by qualified individuals. Recommended terminology refers to the context for learning: Equine-assisted learning in education, equine assisted learning in organizations, and equine-assisted learning in personal development.
   3. Horsemanship includes four types of non-therapy services delivered by qualified individuals. Recommended terminology refers to the particular sport or horsemanship activity: Adaptive equestrian sport, adaptive riding or therapeutic riding, driving, and interactive vaulting.
2. The working group recommended discontinuing the use of imprecise, inaccurate, or misleading terminology, including: equine therapy, equine-assisted activities and therapies, equine-assisted therapy, equestrian therapy, hippotherapist, hippotherapy clinic or program, horse therapy, horseback riding therapy, and therapy riding.

See this illustration for the consensus document recommendations at-a-glance.

Our Response to the Recommendations

Our team at the Natural Lifemanship Institute first wishes to acknowledge those whose considerable efforts and participation in a lengthy consensus-building process culminated in the consensus document. Theirs was a laborious and much needed contribution to the field of human services incorporating horses. We couldn’t agree more with the need for precise and accurate terminology in our field, as suggested by the title of our aforementioned blog article summarizing the document. We agree with many of the recommendations that resulted from the project. We also have a somewhat different perspective on what makes terminology usage in our field problematic and what choices in terminology could be made going forward.

For those who prefer that we cut to the chase, we’ll first share our preferred terminology for services using the Natural Lifemanship (NL) process and for the professionals who provide those services. Next, we’ll share a little bit about our perspective on the subject of terminology in our field and our rationale for making the choices we are making in light of the consensus document.

What terms are we changing or adopting, in a nutshell? 

We are adopting the use of an umbrella term (TI-EAS) plus two other unifying terms (TI-EAT and TI-EAL) to distinguish categories of services. The image below depicts the relationship between the umbrella term, the unifying terms, and the specific term (TF-EAP) that represents the work of our founders and many of our students.

Definition of Terms

Trauma-Informed Equine Assisted Services (TI-EAS) – umbrella term for two or more Natural Lifemanship driven services that fall under the categories of therapy or learning (see below).

Trauma-Informed Equine Assisted Therapy (TI-EAT) is a unifying term for multiple kinds of therapy provided by qualified, licensed professionals. This includes mental health therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, among others. Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP) is one type of service included in the TI-EAT “bucket”. TF-EAP may only be used by licensed mental health professionals trained in Natural Lifemanship. We always recommend that in communicating with clients or potential clients, therapists should be even MORE specific about the work they do within their specializations.

Trauma-Informed Equine Assisted Learning (TI-EAL) is a unifying term referring to learning, personal growth, and wellness services employing Natural Lifemanship. This includes life coaching, energy work, education, and yoga instruction, to name a few examples. This also may include some of the types of work presented in the consensus document under the category of “Horsemanship”, for example, Therapeutic or Adaptive Riding.While many of our students enhance their therapeutic or adaptive riding programs through their learning with us, adaptive riding for those with diverse needs is not our specialization.

Equine Professionals

• The consensus paper did not address the role of the Equine Professional (EP). However, we feel it is critical to address the scope of practice, expertise, and the role of equine professionals in EA Services. Equine Professionals are an integral part of the success of Equine Assisted Services – however, being an EP alone does NOT prepare one to deliver equine-assisted services, which requires professional preparation in one of the human services.  An equine professional who wishes to offer equine-assisted services must either partner with a qualified provider of a human service or they must gain the required professional preparation themselves.  While our trainings are very heavy on the relationship between horse and human, we hope to further address the specific development of an Equine Professional in future writing and programming.

How to communicate with clients using our new terminology

Is NL “Trauma Informed”  or “Trauma Focused”, or both?

The Natural Lifemanship Institute teaches a principle-based  and process-oriented approach to helping humans in partnership with horses. This principle-based approach is informed by the relational sciences, attachment theory, and the neurobiology of trauma and healthy brain development. 

We describe the NL process as being “trauma informed” because regardless of how or where it is applied (i.e., in therapy or in learning contexts), Natural Lifemanship is based on (informed by) the science of trauma and attachment. Trauma-informed approaches such as Natural Lifemanship may be employed for non therapeutic purposes. Somebody who provides Trauma Informed Equine Assisted Learning (TI-EAL) is not attempting to treat trauma therapeutically. However, they may apply their knowledge of the science of trauma to offer learning and growth experiences that are developmentally sensitive and that emphasize connection.

The Natural Lifemanship approach to incorporating horses in mental health treatment, or equine-assisted psychotherapy, is “trauma-focused”. It is informed by trauma/relational sciences and its focus may be on treating the effects of trauma on mental health. Mental health therapists (psychotherapists, counselors, social workers, LMFTs, etc.) who partner with horses based on the Natural Lifemanship approach are trained in Trauma-Focused Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (TF-EAP).

Why the changes?

The term TF-EAP is appropriate for some, but not all, people who practice NL. We have needed a more inclusive way to distinguish between EA services provided by licensed therapy professionals and those outside of the realm of therapy.

Since 2010, TF-EAP has been used somewhat synonymously with Natural Lifemanship. Reflecting the expertise of our founders, TF-EAP also applied to the vast majority of the mental health professionals and their equine professional partners who initially sought out our trainings. However, now, a dozen years later, the NL approach is employed by a wide variety of professionals who partner with horses to serve their clients, including occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, and physical therapists.  

Trauma-Informed Equine Assisted Therapy (TI-EAT) is a more inclusive term pertaining to the set of our students who are licensed to practice some sort of therapy. Similarly,Trauma-Informed Equine-Assisted Learning (TI-EAL) pertains to our students who are qualified to offer transformative growth and learning experiences, such as coaching and team building. 

One thing that has not changed is that we have always maintained that one’s scope of practice dictates what any of our practitioners may claim to do once they have been trained or certified in Natural Lifemanship. 

We agree with the consensus document that precision is important, that the appropriate use of unifying terms facilitates better precision when talking about specific services, and that specific services need always lead with one’s scope of practice. However we disagree with the suggestion that “equine-assisted” should never be used when referring to any kind of therapy. There is a place for keeping “equine-assisted” so long as it is not used inappropriately. One place we feel that equine assisted should continue to be used is in web-based material, which is found through queries in search engines. Without a recognizable, well-known, unifying term such as Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, many consumers and others engaged in keyword online searches would be unable to find the sites and the content that they are searching for. 

We also feel that it is helpful to consumers and other stakeholders to compare and distinguish different types of services by situating them within a larger context. For example, when comparing two different services one might want to know, does this service belong to the category of therapies incorporating horses or does this service belong to the category of learning and growth experiences incorporating horses? 

We feel the use of unifying terms such as Equine-Assisted Therapies (EAT) and Equine-Assisted Learning (EAL) greatly helps consumers, researchers, and other stakeholders  find the services they seek and make educated distinctions between them. The terms are recognizable and parsimonious for the purposes of searching for and comparing services. When seeking potential providers, the unifying terms make it possible for consumers to narrow their search. It is then incumbent upon the providers to specify what, exactly, they provide based on their professional licensure and expertise.

From now on, when we use TI-EAT we are referring to multiple types of therapy in which providers may partner with horses, based on the NL approach, to deliver treatment. This means that somebody trained or certified in TI-EAT must be a licensed therapist and must have undertaken a certain level of professional development with Natural Lifemanship. TI-EAT includes occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and other kinds of therapy, while the more specific term, TF-EAP, is a subtype of TI-EAT and is limited to psychotherapists and other licensed mental health clinicians.

TI-EAL continues to represent the types of learning and growth experiential services incorporating horses using the NL approach. Again, practitioners who claim to be doing TI-EAL must be trained or certified with Natural Lifemanship. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, we hope that our response leaves the reader with a clear understanding of how Natural Lifemanship uses terms, why we support the consensus document’s recommendations for leading with scope of practice, and also why we feel that precise and accurate terminology is necessary but not necessarily sufficient when there is considerable ambiguity around scope of practice in our field. We need to hold ourselves accountable to a higher level of professionalism in this regard.

To reiterate our position with respect to the consensus document recommendations, we are in agreement with the proposed terms relevant to therapy and learning, with one exception: we propose using equine-assisted therapy (EAT) as a unifying term for the types of therapy identified in the therapy category. Just like the unifying terms, equine-assisted services (EAS) and equine-assisted learning (EAL), equine-assisted therapy is not to be used singularly to label a specific kind of therapy. It is simply a more precise unifying term for the category of services in which qualified therapy professionals incorporate horses within their scopes of practice. 

Finally, we feel strongly that there is a need to explicitly address the role of the equine professional within equine-assisted services. It is important to define their scope of practice and the kinds of knowledge, skills, experience, and specific training or preparation they must have to effectively co-facilitate therapy and learning in partnership with horses. Look for more from us in the future on this topic. In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more about the role of the equine professional in Natural Lifemanship-based services, we offer a short course, which you may purchase, here.

About Natural Lifemanship

Natural Lifemanship (NL) is a developmentally-informed, trauma-, and attachment-focused approach to developing and strengthening the human and mammalian capacity to connect. Our TI-EAT and TI-EAL trainings and certifications teach a process for building relationships with horses and integrating horses into equine-assisted services in ways that promote healthy connection for both human and horse. Through intensive training and mentorship, the Natural Lifemanship Institute’s certification program prepares professionals to apply the NL approach into one’s scope of practice. Natural Lifemanship emphasizes relational and developmentally-informed principles rather than techniques, and offers personalized support and mentorship at every stage of the certification process.

Interested in learning with us?

Registration for the next Fundamentals of Natural Lifemanship training opens January 12th!  This is our most entry level training and is required for all certification paths. We hope you can join us!

How we talk about what we do: The need for precise and accurate terminology in our field

by Laura McFarland | Apr 16, 2021 | The Latest in Equine Assisted Therapy and Learning

In December 2020, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine published an article entitled, “Optimal Terminology for Services in the United States That Incorporate Horses to Benefit People: A Consensus Document.”

We at the Natural Lifemanship Institute very much appreciate the authors’ timely work and its importance to our field, to your businesses, and most importantly to the clients you serve. They attempt to address a significant need in the field through a process of inquiry and consensus.

Seriously y’all this is a big deal – leaders (and competitors) in our field came together in a TWO YEAR process of discussion, exploration, research, and collaboration, because, like you, they care about our field, our businesses, and our clients.

We were glad to see that this article has been circulating on social media a bit, but we also realize that it’s an academic article and it’s long!  Since we think it’s super important that you read this article and discuss it with us, I wrote up this lovely summary for you!  I kinda geek out on these kinds of things, so it was truly a pleasure.  🙂

The purpose of this blog is to provide a concise summary of the article and its recommendations with the hopes of promoting ongoing dialogue amongst our members and others who partner with horses to help people. We want to hear from you! Please join us on Facebook and tell us what you think!

As stakeholders ourselves we have been engaging in lots of internal dialogue about the recommendations and will be publishing an official response in the coming weeks. Our discussions with you will inform our decisions.

If you are interested in being notified when we have posted our response, you may request to be notified, here.

Article Citation

Wood, W., Alm, K., Benjamin, J., Thomas, L., Anderson, D., Pohl, L., & Kane, M. (2021). Optimal terminology for services in the United States that incorporate horses to benefit people: a consensus document. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 27(1), 88-95.

Click here to download the article.

Article Summary

Optimal Terminology for Services in the United States that Incorporate Horses to Benefit People: A Consensus Document (Wood et al., 2021)

The Consensus Process in a Nutshell

A working group of representatives from national organizations in the field of equine-assisted services participated in a 2-year process for the purpose of recommending terminology to be used and to be discontinued in the field.

The grant-funded project was motivated by the recognition that unclear and imprecise use of terminology in the rapidly expanding and diverse field of services incorporating horses to help humans is problematic and potentially damaging. Ambiguous terminology creates confusion and inadequate protection for consumers, obstacles to reimbursement and research, and misinformed policies and practices.

The six-step collaborative process started with an exhaustive search of sites, databases, and literature to identify the most commonly used terms in the field. The authors listed 12 distinct types of equine-assisted services represented under 3 broad categories of therapy, learning, and horsemanship. Next, they developed and disseminated a survey asking stakeholders in the field to rate the relative usefulness of each term. A 2 ½ day professionally facilitated summit was then convened, bringing in additional stakeholders, to discuss the results and to produce a draft of recommendations. The draft underwent review and revision by summit members as well as additional stakeholders to produce the final recommendations that are shared in the article.

The categories themselves, a description of the types of services within each category, and the expertise and credentials required of service providers are summarized in the Nuts & Bolts section below.

The Authors’ Recommendations in a Nutshell

1. Equine-assisted Services is the optimal unifying term when referring to two or more services. It is too imprecise to be used to describe one program or distinct type of service.
2. Therapy services (5 distinct types include: counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychotherapy, and speech-language pathology) should use therapy-first language (e.g., physical therapy using equine movement, psychotherapy incorporating horses, occupational therapy in equine environments). Reasons for emphasizing therapy-first language are outlined in the Nuts & Bolts section below.
3. Equine-assisted learning (3 types of non-therapy services): Equine-assisted learning in education, equine assisted learning in organizations, and equine-assisted learning in personal development.
4. Horsemanship (4 types of non-therapy services): Adaptive equestrian sport, adaptive riding or therapeutic riding, driving, and interactive vaulting.
5. Discontinue the use of problematic terminology, including: equine therapy, equine-assisted activities and therapies, equine-assisted therapy, equestrian therapy, hippotherapist, hippotherapy clinic or program, horse therapy, horseback riding therapy, and therapy riding.

NUTS & BOLTS of the Article 

WHAT

The article describes the structure and outcomes of a two-year consensus-building process. The purpose of this process was to create a set of recommendations for terminology used when referring to services (within the U.S.) that incorporate equines to benefit people. Recommendations included both the adoption of optimal terminology and the discontinuation of terminology the working group found to be problematic.

WHO

The process was undertaken by a working group (the authors, listed below) comprised of representatives of several relevant national organizations:

1. Wendy Wood, PhD, Departments of Animal Sciences and Occupational Therapy , Temple Grandin Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
2. Kathy Alm, BA, Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH, Intl.), Denver, CO, USA
3. Joann Benjamin, PT, American Hippotherapy Association, Inc., (AHA, Inc.), Denver, CO, USA
4. Lynn Thomas, LCSW, Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association (EAGALA), Spanish Fork, UT, USA
5. Debbie Anderson, AS, Strides to Success, Plainfield, IN, USA
6. Lissa Pohl, MA, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA and Equine Experiential Education Association (E3A), Reno, NV, USA (Click here to watch a Horse Sense webinar with Lissa Pohl as she discusses this article)
   
7. Michele Kane, MA, Major, USMC (Ret.), My Heroes, LLC, Fort Collins, CO, USA

WHY

In the past 30 years, human services incorporating horses have greatly expanded and diversified. As a result, terminology for naming and describing these services has become increasingly unclear and imprecise. The current state of imprecise terminology in our field generates serious problems for stakeholders (including consumers, service providers, funders, researchers, advocates, and regulatory agents). When terminology is vague or misleading, it contributes to confusion, inadequate consumer protection, obstacles to reimbursement, barriers to research, and misinformed policies and practices, among other adverse effects.

HOW

The consensus-building process was initiated in 2018 and spanned two years. The process consisted of 6 steps:

1. PATH obtained funding from the Bob Woodruff Foundation to support the consensus building process, and convened a working group of five leaders (authors Wood, Alm, Benjamin, Thomas, and Kane)
2. The working group designed and disseminated a survey that asked stakeholders to rate the relative usefulness of the most commonly used terms. The first round of consensus occurred at this step, and consisted of the following sub steps:
   1. Before developing the survey, the team had to identify and agree on the most commonly used terms in the field. To do this, they conducted an extensive and systematic search of websites, databases and literature, including books and peer-reviewed journal articles. They used over 45 search criteria related to equine- and animal-assisted services and interventions. Nine databases were searched, returning 158 books and peer-reviewed journal articles. This literature was then examined to identify the terms that were used. The terms were entered into an Excel database for the purpose of comparing and contrasting their frequencies of use. The team divided the work and ultimately reached consensus on the most commonly used terms.
   2. Once a list of commonly used terms had been compiled, the working group collaborated with experts in survey research to design, develop and approve the final survey.
   3. The survey was distributed through:
      1. AHA, Inc.
      2. E3A
      3. EAGALA
      4. Equus Foundation
      5. PATH Intl.
      6. Directly to ~500 recipients of services, parents, or caregivers

A total of ~16,156 surveys were distributed with a return of 1,745 (or 10.8%) useable surveys, which made up the dataset.

Survey design, research questions, analysis, and key findings are not included in the article but may be obtained.

3. A professionally facilitated 2 ½ day terminology summit was held. The attendees (called the summit group) included the members of the working group plus 10 individuals chosen for their extensive experiences and perspectives, representing: AHA, Inc., Bob Woodruff Foundation, Certification Board for Equine Interaction Professionals (CBEIP), EAGALA, E3A, PATH, Intnl, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The summit group produced an initial framework of recommendations.
4. The working group developed a first draft of recommendations. Summit attendees approved the draft as suitable for further review by leaders and board members of the represented organizations.
5. The working group considered all received reviews and finalized their terminology recommendations.
6. The working group submitted final recommendations to other summit attendees for approval or disapproval, as well as to the Boards of Directors of eight relevant national organizations, who were asked to approve or disapprove the recommendations that were relevant to them. These organizations included:
   1. AHA, Inc.
   2. American Horse Council (AHC)
   3. Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA)
   4. CBEIP
   5. EAGALA
   6. E3A
   7. Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF)
   8. PATH, Intl.

RESULTS

As a result of the 6-step consensus-building process, outlined above, the working group identified and organized 12 types of distinct types of services (see below) and produced the recommendations that follow.

12 distinct types of equine-assisted services were identified under 3 broad categories:

Recommended Terminology

1. Recommended optimal unifying term: Equine-assisted Services (EAS)
   1. Refers to multiple services in which professionals incorporate horses/equines to benefit people. Each distinct service constitutes a type of EAS; but the inclusive term, EAS, alone does not suffice as a description for a particular service when it is marketed to consumers.
2. Therapy
   1. Licensed therapy professionals may incorporate horses in each of the five distinct therapies listed in the table above.
   2. These professionals work within the scope of their practice and particular discipline.
   3. Best practice dictates that they obtain specialized training focused on incorporating interactions with horses, equine movement, or the equine environment into the individualized plans of care of those receiving therapy.
   4. These professionals incorporate horses within treatments or interventions to help address individualized goals, and improve overall function, health, and wellness.
   5. They may or may not work with equine professionals or other assistants for risk management and other purposes.
   6. Therapy-first language is recommended to refer to any one of the types of therapies identified. The terminology must precisely identify the exact therapy (e.g., physical therapy, psychotherapy). Equine related descriptors can then be added. Examples:
      1. Physical therapy using equine movement
      2. Psychotherapy incorporating horses
      3. Occupational therapy in an equine environment
   7. Rationale for using therapy-first language:
      1. Emphasizes licensed therapy professionals who determine how best to implement particular therapies while also acknowledging the potential of the horse to enhance therapeutic outcomes.
      2. After completing discipline-specific evaluations, the therapists develop treatment plans for achieving goals and specify tools, strategies or interventions, which may include how best to incorporate the horse.
      3. Therapy-first language reflects the fact that licensed therapy professionals have many options available to them, the incorporation of the horse being one of them.
      4. Non-specific terms are problematic (see #5 below)
3. Learning
   1. Specially trained or certified professionals may incorporate horses in 3 distinct types of nontherapy services:
      1. Equine-assisted learning in education
         1. Focuses on academic skills, character development, and life skills such as problem-solving and critical thinking.
         2. Professionals providing services have expertise related to learning theory and teaching methodology.
         3. Work is with schools and school systems to help integrate educational strategies that support individual education plans and academic remediation.
      2. Equine-assisted learning in organizations
         1. Assists members of organizations build effective teams and leadership, and improve work dynamics and performance.
         2. Professionals providing services have expertise related to organizational theory, team building, strategic planning, or leadership development.
         3. Various approaches or strategies, such as executive coaching, team-building, or group retreats, may be integrated to address the needs of clients.
      3. Equine-assisted learning in personal development
         1. Assists individuals and groups in discovering new ways to face life challenges and opportunities by developing skills in effective problem-solving, decision-making, critical and creative thinking, and communication.
         2. Professionals providing services have expertise in facilitation, coaching, and teaching. They clearly understand how their services differ from psychotherapy and counseling.
         3. Various approaches or strategies, including personal coaching, and wellness-related activities, may be integrated to address the needs of clients.
4. Horsemanship
   1. 1. Equine professionals may offer four distinct non-therapy services that are adapted from traditional equine disciplines of horseback riding, driving, and vaulting, to serve clients with diverse needs.
      2. Equine professionals providing these services have specialized training or certifications to provide these services to individuals and groups with diverse needs. They require competencies in adapting equipment, the equine environment, and teaching techniques to match the abilities and needs of participants. They develop lesson plans that may involve riding, driving, vaulting, or ground-based activities to help participants attain individualized horsemanship skills and allow for the naturally healthful benefits of riding and other horsemanship activities to occur.
      3. The four distinct non-therapy services include:
         1. Adaptive equestrian sport
            1. Prepares people with diverse needs to participate in events and competitions in equine disciplines such as driving, dressage, reining, and Western or English riding.
            2. Trainers have expertise related to their specific equine disciplines, competition requirements, possible adaptations for athletes with diverse needs, and representative organizations.
            3. Benefits of participation may include motivation and opportunities to excel as competitive athletes, physical fitness, self-confidence, and social inclusion.
         2. Adaptive riding or therapeutic riding
            1. Focuses on skillfully adapting riding to make the naturally healthful benefits of riding and horses accessible to individuals and groups with diverse needs.
            2. Instructors have expertise in riding instruction across the continuum of horsemanship skills (groundwork to riding).
            3. Benefits potentially include physical fitness and improved cognition, emotional, social, or behavioral skills.
         3. Driving
            1. Teaches individuals with diverse needs how to safely participate in driving activities with horses. This can occur with many types of vehicles, including carriages, sleighs, or wagons, and can be adapted as needed.
            2. Instructors have expertise in techniques of safe driving and its instruction.
            3. Benefits potentially include improved physical fitness or cognitive, emotional, social, or behavioral skills.
         4. Interactive vaulting
            1. Engages individuals and groups with diverse needs in movements and gymnastic positions around and on horses and vaulting barrels.
            2. Instructors have expertise pertaining to the principles and techniques of vaulting.
            3. Benefits may include improved physical fitness, social skills and communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.
5. Recommended discontinuing the use of problematic terminology:
   1. Equine therapy
   2. Equine-assisted activities and therapies
   3. Equine-assisted therapy
   4. Equestrian therapy
   5. Hippotherapist and hippotherapy clinic or program
   6. horse therapy
   7. Horseback riding therapy and therapy riding

The adverse impacts of these terms, which lack clarity and transparency, were identified through the survey and summit. Adverse impacts include:

• Consumers having difficulty identifying and accessing services that best meet their needs
• Payers establishing inaccurate payment codes and requirements based on misinterpretations of terms
• Therapists experiencing funding barriers, denials, and having to request repayment of legitimate therapies
• Journalists using sound bites such as “horse therapy” in stories and thereby obscuring from the public’s view the distinct nature and value of the particular services about which they are reporting
• Promoting terminology inconsistencies in the literature
• No profession, academic degree, professional license, or state regulation was known to exist that supported the above-named therapies as legitimate stand-alone therapies.
• They are potentially legally indefensible for providers and misleading to stakeholders.

The article provides specific reasoning for the discontinuation of each of these problematic terms on pages 92-93.

The terminology recommendations were endorsed by a majority of the summit group and the Boards of Directors of AHC, CHA, E3A, HHRF, and PATH Intl. AHA, Inc.’s Board of Directors disapproved of associating therapies under the same umbrella of equine-assisted services as learning and horsemanship, yet agreed that the other recommendations were a tremendous step forward. AHA’s response can be found here. Votes of the Boards of Directors of EAGALA and CBEIP were pending at the time of the article’s publication.

We have recently confirmed that CBEIP did endorse the terminology recommendations after the article’s publication.  Rumor has it that EAGALA did not endorse the terminology recommendations, but we have not yet been able to confirm this.

Summary of Authors’ Main Discussion Points

1. The most important recommendation stemming from this process was that stakeholders adopt terminology that precisely and accurately identifies distinct types of services and meaningfully distinguishes between them, and discontinue the use of terminology that is imprecise and potentially inaccurate or misleading. The use of such terminology may benefit the field in a number of ways as well as prevent or mitigate future terminology-related problems.
2. The use of the recommended unifying term, Equine-assisted Services, if used as intended to reference two or more services, may also prevent or mitigate terminology-related problems. It must not be reduced to a single homogenous service, however.
3. Ongoing questions and challenges:
   1. There was disagreement on the use of therapy-first language. Licensed therapy professionals who recommended using therapy-first language and discontinuing the use of “equine-assisted” to define therapy (as in as equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP)) argued that it erroneously implied a different stand-alone therapy from that of psychotherapy itself. Other licensed therapy professionals disagreed and reported that the use of terms such as EAP had not been problematic.
   2. Some noted that the modifier, equine-assisted, was universally recognized and aligned with widespread uses of animal-assisted and was therefore preferable to terms like equine-facilitated or equine-guided.
   3. The use of adaptive riding and therapeutic riding were questioned and there was some disagreement regarding the best terms to describe services in which riding was adapted to make the benefits accessible to persons with diverse needs. The historic use of “therapeutic riding” to label any service incorporating horses was rejected. Likewise, the adjective, “therapeutic”, was rejected insofar as it implies that therapeutic riding is a type of therapy. Yet, therapeutic riding is viewed as a highly recognizable term, both nationally and internationally, and has been used for more than half a century. Adaptive riding, a more recent term, aligns with terminology in adaptive recreation and sports while accurately conveying that the activity is adapted. Ultimately, valid preferences for either term were recognized.
4. The authors maintain that the article is a living document and they encourage critical evaluations of all recommendations plus ongoing monitoring of any positive or negative impacts of the recommendations.

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