Course Overview:

Next Course: Dubai at Al Marmoom Stables | Part 1: Dec 26-29, 2024 | Part 2: Jan 2-5, 2025

AHA, Inc provides and promotes excellence in education related to the integration of hippotherapy in practice. Two courses: Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Parts I and II, which establish a foundation for therapy professionals, who want to understand and use equine movement as a treatment tool.

Course Instructors

Lesley Lautenschlager, MS, OTR, HPCS

Lesley has been incorporating equine movement in her therapy practice since earning her Master of Science/OT in1988 from University of Indianapolis. She became an adaptive riding instructor in 1981, prior to earning her degree. Lesley was responsible for incorporating special needs riders into the Hamilton County (IN) 4-H Horse & Pony project which successfully completed its first year in 1999. She started ACTS Therapy and TherAplay clinics, has served on the Indiana Governor’s Council for Infants and Toddlers, Board of Directors for the Agape Therapeutic RidingCenter, Indiana Horse Council/EAP Committee, and the Board of Directors for both the Indiana Dressage Society and American Hippotherapy Association, Inc. Lesley has practiced in the areas of industrial rehabilitation, upper extremity rehab, home health, pediatrics with a sensory integration focus and currently supervises a rehab team of 33 therapists in acute care. Lesley is an active equestrian and has successfully competed in combined training, hunters, and dressage.

Carol Huegel, PT, HPCS

Carol is a PT graduate from the University of Florida. She has an NDT and vestibular rehab background and has incorporated hippotherapy in treatment with patients of all ages from toddlers to 80’s, with varied diagnoses. Carol attended her first PATH, Intl Workshop in 1982. She co-founded two not for profit organizations, most recently GREAAT! – Gainesville Riding through Equine Assisted Activities and Therapy.  Carol has served as a clinical instructor for physical therapy and assisted students from a variety of programs around the country. She is a PATH Certified Therapist and Riding Instructor and a Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist. She is a past AHA Board Member and is the current Chair of the American Hippotherapy Certification Board.

Course Objectives

Hippotherapy Treatment Principles Part I (On-Site)

Occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathologists taking this course will gain an understanding of the principles, history, theory, and research of the application of hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) as a treatment strategy/tool within a plan of care (POC) in OT, PT and SLP practice. Therapists will observe and analyze a therapy treatment with skilled equine movement and discuss the adaptive responses in the patient. Therapists will be introduced to skilled equine movement and the effect of the horse’s conformation and movement on the systems of the human body for implementation in a POC for a variety of diagnoses and patients. The following learning outcomes will be assessed during participation in active learning activities, learner demonstration of skills during practicums, class discussions, and small group work.

Learning Outcomes for Hippotherapy Treatment Principles – Part I

• Therapists will be able to define the term hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) and identify at least 3 primary principles of hippotherapy.

• Therapists will be able to list and describe at least 5 key considerations in patient evaluation for determining if hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) should be included in a patient’s plan of care.

• Therapists will be able to list and describe at least 6 precautions/ contraindications that should be considered when deciding on the inclusion of hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) into a patient’s plan of care and describe appropriate safety procedures during intervention.

• Therapists will be able to list and describe the 5 primary parameters with respect to matching patient impairment, size, and functional limitation and horse size, gait, and temperament for optimal and safe incorporation of hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) into a plan of care to maximize functional outcomes.

• Therapists will be able to describe the effect of hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) on at least 3 different patient diagnoses as related to their systems impairment, participation restriction, and functional outcomes through participation in a treatment planning practicum.

• Therapists will demonstrate correct documentation in writing treatment and progress notes related to the current use of equine movement in OT, PT and SLP practice.

• Therapists will be able to list 3 examples of how the therapist using skilled equine movement incorporates the AHA Best Practice Guidelines into practice.

• Therapists will be able to cite 3 current research articles applicable to hippotherapy (skilled equine movement)

• Identify the professional relationships between AHA, Inc. and its educational offerings, PATH Intl., and the AHCB by giving 3 examples of how these relationships impact Best Practice when incorporating hippotherapy as a treatment tool into a therapy plan of care.

Hippotherapy Treatment Principles – Part II (On-Site)

Part II of this four-day workshop presents clinical content/practicums to provide and facilitate a problem-solving treatment approach, using actual patients currently involved in physical, occupational, or speech-language therapy that incorporates hippotherapy as a treatment tool/strategy.   The Hippotherapy Conceptual Framework will be presented which is based on current theoretical bases underlying physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy.  Therapists will treat actual patients for two therapy sessions in a trans-disciplinary team format with videotape review and group discussions to further advance the learning experience.

Occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech-language pathology professionals taking this course will incorporate evidence-based practice research, clinical problem solving, and critical thinking in a PT, OT, Speech individual, or trans/multidisciplinary treatment that includes skilled equine movement as part of a patient’s plan of care (POC).

Learning Outcomes for Hippotherapy Treatment Principles – Part II

• Explain the application of 5 tenets of the Hippotherapy Conceptual Framework when developing a treatment plan that incorporates equine movement and assessing treatment results towards functional outcomes.

• Identify and explain the rationale for 5 components of treatment planning, implementation, and modification with the use of hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) in a realistic treatment scenario.

• Describe 3 examples of effective use of hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) to address identified patient impairments during participation in therapy session practicums.

• Describe 2 treatment criteria to establish when hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) is no longer the most effective treatment tool/strategy to achieve established patient goals.

• List and describe 5 components of the AHA, Inc. Best Practice Guidelines that can guide clinical practice when hippotherapy (skilled equine movement) is incorporated into the plan of care.

• Identify the professional relationships between AHA, Inc. and its educational offerings, PATH Intl., and the AHCB by giving 3 examples of how these relationships impact Best Practice when incorporating hippotherapy as a treatment tool into a therapy plan of care.