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PATH Intl. Conference Re-imagined!

Denver— Prior to the pandemic and the subsequent canceling of the PATH Intl. Conference, the association had selected exceptional sessions from almost 100 abstracts submitted by international-quality experts. PATH Intl. never lost sight of the importance of making this valuable education available to members.

As a result, in lieu of the international conference, this year PATH Intl. will provide three different webinar series through fall 2020 and winter 2021. Each series will feature a unique area of focus and will be presented by the experts whose abstracts were chosen for the international conference. The choice of series will include program (September), disability (October) and administrative (January). Each five-week series will include one webinar per week and require no travel!

Enticing presentations from the September series include:

“Conditioning the Therapeutic Horse for Longevity and Success!” with Christine Skelly
In today’s situation with quarantines and stay-at-home orders, many therapeutic riding programs have horses on breaks. While downtime can be beneficial both mentally and physically, a horse begins losing cardio-conditioning in as little as two weeks; by 12 weeks of downtime, a horse has lost most of their fitness associated with exercise. Attendees will explore evaluating a horse’s body condition score for health and performance and how to develop a sports-specific exercise conditioning program for a therapeutic horse.

“Exploring Sensory Processing” with Susan Rehr
Explore how sensory processing affects learning, attention, behavior and skill acquisition. Attendees will gain an understanding of the connection of sensory processing to lesson planning, rider behavior and the acquisition of horsemanship skills.

Registration will open in August. Click here for updated session offerings and registration details.

Questions? Email .

About PATH Intl.:

The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International® (PATH Intl.®) was formed in 1969 to promote safety and optimal outcomes in equine-assisted services (EAS) for individuals with special needs. At nearly 750 member centers, more than 66,000 children and adults, including 6,200 veterans, may find improved health, wellness and a sense of pride, independence and fun through involvement with horses. Therapeutic horsemanship at member centers may include hippotherapy, equine-facilitated mental health, driving, interactive vaulting, trail riding, competition, groundwork and stable management. Through a wide variety of educational resources, the association helps individuals start and maintain successful EAS programs. There are nearly 62,500 volunteers, 5,011 instructors, 7,800 equines and thousands of contributors from all over the world helping people at PATH Intl. Member Centers.

About PATH Intl.:

The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International® (PATH Intl.) was formed in 1969 to promote safety and optimal outcomes in equine-assisted services (EAS) for individuals with special needs and others. At 794 member centers, more than 46,600 children and adults, including 5,200 veterans, may find improved health, wellness and a sense of pride, independence, and fun through involvement with horses. Member centers offer therapeutic horsemanship including riding, driving, interactive vaulting, groundwork, and stable management; physical, speech and occupational therapies; mental health services incorporating equines; and coaching and learning programs, among other services. There are nearly 40,000 volunteers, 4,863 PATH Intl. certified professionals, 5,250 equines, and thousands of contributors from all over the world helping people at PATH Intl. Member Centers achieve their health, wellness, and learning goals. Through a wide variety of educational resources and certification programs, the association helps individuals start and maintain successful EAS programs. PATH Intl. offers the first and only independently accredited certification program in the EAS industry. The PATH Intl. Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor® Certification, first accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies in 2022, demonstrates the competency of therapeutic riding instructors and adds credibility to the EAS industry as a career path.