How do you turn the life-long dream of owning a therapeutic riding center into reality?  Katie Oakland did just that a few years ago when she founded, TR for Heart and Soul in Bismark, ND.  She has grown her mostly volunteer operated facility from 4 participants in 2016 to about 50 participants today and is loving every minute of it.  As a busy mom of 3 young kids, she shares with us ways to find the balance while still growing the successful and sustainable TR center of her dreams.

Learn more about the HETRA Mentoring services at www.HETRAUniversity.org

This episode is sponsored in part by Equi-Force. Find out more at www. equi-force.org

This episode is also sponsored in part by Equicizer. Find out more at www.equicizer.com

Therapy positioning can include any position we place our clients in to achieve desired outcomes-- backward, prone, supine, quadruped and more!  Why do therapists use these positions though? How can we use them to work toward our goals, and do it safely? Lisa is here to tell us!

Lisa Harris has both a MS in Physical Therapy and Veterinary Science, specializing in equine biomechanics. She is a hippotherapy clinical specialist and has served on the AHA board as vice president, research and education chairperson and newsletter editor.  She is a PATH, Intl. Advanced riding instructor and currently owns and operates her own private practice.

Help us work toward our mission with a donation: https://www.classy.org/give/168754/#!/donation/checkout

This episode is sponsored in part by Equi-Force. Find out more at www. equi-force.org

Episode 23: PART TWO: Equine Assisted Learning:  What’s the line between EAL and Therapy?

Did you catch PART ONE of this series?  This is part two of an amazing series on Equine Assisted Learning from two experts in our field, Debbie Anderson and Blair McKissock of Strides to Success.  In this episode we hear a quick and effective way to tell if you are crossing the line from EAL into therapy with some great examples. They also help answer questions like how to get started in EAL and what responsibilities you have as a facilitator. Find out how Debbie and Blair are helping to build informed practitioners with a creative tool box of things to help them in the arena.

Debbie Anderson ESMHL CTRI, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Strides to Success. Debbie has served in the animal assisted therapy industry for over 30 years. Debbie loves to serve as the welcome mat for people that are new to EAL.  She  loves to listen to their vision and lend them any experience that maybe helpful and guide them to resources that will help them make their dream a reality.

Blair McKissock PhD ESMHL, CTRI, CTRS and director or HorseWork Education at Strides to Success.  Blair has been in the field of human-animal interaction and experiential education for over 20 years. She earned her BS in Recreation Therapy and her MS in Education and has a PhD in EcoPsychology.  She is also the chair of the equine facilitated learning (EAL) community for PATH and works nationally to establish standards in EAL.

Check out everything Strides has to offer at https://stridestosuccess.org/

Episode 23: PART ONE: Equine Assisted Learning:  a Depth of Knowledge & Purposeful Intention

Equine Assisted Learning is a wonderful way to build skills and meet goals for our participants, but there is a lot to it!  Debbie Anderson and Blair McKissock from Strides to Success have been “gathering EAL gold” for the last 25 years and they are hear to share it with us!  Join us to hear from EAL experts in our field! They help facilitate many questions for us like ‘What is your intention for  partnering with horses?’  Have you explored the depth of knowledge it requires? Have you set up your participants for success with EAL?

Debbie Anderson ESMHL CTRI, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Strides to Success. Debbie has served in the animal assisted therapy industry for over 30 years. Debbie loves to serve as the welcome mat for people that are new to EAL.  She  loves to listen to their vision and lend them any experience that maybe helpful and guide them to resources that will help them make their dream a reality.  Blair McKissock PhD ESMHL, CTRI, CTRS and director or HorseWork Education at Strides to Success.  Blair has been in the field of human-animal interaction and experiential education for over 20 years. She earned her BS in Recreation Therapy and her MS in Education and has a PhD in EcoPsychology.  She is also the chair of the equine facilitated learning (EAL) community for PATH and works nationally to establish standards in EAL.

Check out everything Strides has to offer at https://stridestosuccess.org/

PATH EAL Core Competencies:  https://www.pathintl.org/images/pdf/resources/PATH-Intl-EAL-Final-Core-Competencies.pdf

PATH EAL Guidelines:  https://www.pathintl.org/images/pdf/resources/PATH-Intl-EAL-Guidelines.pdf

Let’s kick off the new year and season two of the podcast on the right foot!  CEO of HETRA, Edye Godden, talks with us about planning for 2022.  She encourages us to not get bogged down by scary words like ‘strategic planning’ and think of it more as a roadmap for success!  She tells us how HETRA continues to meet goals every year including tips for staff assessments, setting personal and professional goals as well as how delegating tasks and using measurable goals prevents burn out and creates accountability for a successful staff team.

Don't forget to join the exclusive 'Not Just a Pony Ride' Facebook group! 

Suggestions for topics or guests?  Click here https://www.tfaforms.com/4879753

A hybrid episode! First we hear from Shelby Schult, HETRA’s Equine Operation Manager on how we keep our senior horses “Happy, Healthy, Sane & Sound”, including HETRA’s effective routine and why you shouldn’t be afraid of maintenance!  Then, we hear from Kevin Roche, owner of GlucoGlide.  He shares the science behind his products and why they work so well for our horses at HETRA.

Order products here! https://hetra.org/donate/shop-glc.html

Have Questions? Click on the box at www.hetrauniversity.org

Jessica White Plume is heading up a growing movement, horse culture-based wellness and therapy, focusing on the historic connections between horses and Indigenous peoples.  She speaks with us about the healing work she is doing on a local reservation and about how the equine studies program at NHS tribal college is helping young people reconnect with culture and wellness through relationships with horses.

Jessica White Plume was raised on the Pine Ridge Reservation in SD. Since completing her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and Masters in Public Health, her work has focused on cultural and community based ways of healing and health in indigenous communities.

Check out the Not Just a Pony Ride Facebook page for more content!

This episode is sponsored in part by Equi-Force. Find out more at www. equi-force.org

This episode is also sponsored in part by Equicizer. Find out more at www.equicizer.com

Meet Londyn!  Her mom, Whitney, shares the joys of their 3 year long relationship with HETRA and all of the gains Londyn has made with communication, strength, confidence and more!

Support Team Londyn with their Drive to Ride campaign here: https://www.classy.org/team/377005

Calling all therapists! Lisa shares her insights on utilizing hippotherapy in her private physical therapy practice as well as offers some great tips on topics such as reimbursement. We also discuss a great organization, the American Hippotherapy Association and what it has to offer you. Lisa Harris has both a MS in Physical Therapy and Veterinary Science, specializing in equine biomechanics. She is a hippotherapy clinical specialist and has served on the AHA board as vice president, research and education chairperson and newsletter editor.  She is a PATH, Intl. Advanced riding instructor and currently owns and operates her own private practice.

Help us work toward our mission with a donation: https://www.classy.org/give/168754/#!/donation/checkout

This episode is sponsored in part by Equi-Force. Find out more at www. equi-force.org

This episode is also sponsored in part by Equicizer. Find out more at www.equicizer.com