Presented by: Kate Vasquez Equine Therapy Presented by: Kate Vasquez

About Me I grew up in San Antonio, TX Special Education Buddy Degree in Psychology with a Minor in Special Education and American Sigh Language Volunteered at a Therapeutic Riding Center Loved horses growing up PATH International Certified in Therapeutic Riding, Interactive Vaulting, Equine Specialist

Open T.R.A.I.L. Ranch Located in Boerne, Texas Founded on May 3, 2012 But we actually started building in November 2010 We serve 50 riders a week Currently have 14 horses or different types running our program Lots of rescue horses and animals in our program http://www.opentrailranch.org/home.html

PATH International https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgocha4vQQM Our center is a PATH center PATH Intl. certifies us as professionals Provides standards and safety Leading our industry with research and education materials

Therapeutic Riding A Riding program that focuses on teaching riding skills to those with  physical limitations, developmental and social delays. Must have your PATH International Therapeutic Riding Instructor certification

Interactive Vaulting A vaulting program that focuses on teaching gymnastic and/or yoga moves  on the back of a moving horse controlled by an instructor Must have your PATH International Therapeutic Riding Instructor AND Interactive Vaulting Certification

Equine Assisted Learning A  horsemanship program that focuses on teaching all parts of horsemanship on and off the horse. This program includes grooming, tacking, riding, and horse care. Must have a PATH International Therapeutic Riding Instructor AND Equine Specialist Certification

Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy A clinical session of psychotherapy with a mental health professional, client and a horse. Must be a Licensed Mental Health Professional Must have a PATH International Therapeutic Riding AND Equine Specialist Certification

Hippotherapy A clinical therapy program with a Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist or Physical Therapist where they focus solely on their specialist while using their client is riding. Must be a licensed health professional and a Certified PATH International Therapeutic Riding Instructor

Benefits of Equine Therapy Physical Posture, Balance, Strength, Flexibility Cognitive Following Directions, Concentration Social Independence, Self Esteem, Confidence Emotional Responsibility, Friendships/Relationships

What does a typical day look like? Feeding horses at 6 AM Getting turnouts ready Putting horses out Setting up the arena Cleaning the barn Looking over lesson plans Grooming and tacking horses Getting riders ready to ride Teaching Interacting with volunteers Cleaning up at the end of the day Bringing horses in and feeding them dinner Close up for the night and checking stall doors

Why do I love my job? I get to help those with special needs and work with horses at the same time! I work outdoors and get to move around all day! I have made many professional friends and connections through our volunteers! Most of all we get to see positive changes in our riders on things like talking, walking, or increasing happiness!

Roles we play in our community Reach out to schools in resource fairs Serve those with special needs Provide volunteer opportunities for those needing volunteer hours Rescue horses and rehabilitate them to work in our programs in different ways Provide a place for special needs families to have birthday parties

Fun Facts! Did you know a horse drinks up to 10-15 gallons of water and eats 1-2% of its body weight in feed each day? Our horses have a daily schedule! It can take around 12-15 volunteers just to hold 1 therapeutic riding class? Our horses get their feet trimmed or new shoes every 6 weeks!

Answering your Questions Can all horses be helpful in equine therapy? Not all horses What are negatives to using horses for therapy? Expensive, just like us and can have bad days, lots of continuous training Are horses being used with students that have autism? Yes! In our program 40% of the individuals we serve are on the Autism Spectrum

Questions continued… How do horses help people in therapy? Provide movement Did you know the movement of a horse mimics how your body moves when it is walking? Provide encouragement Riding horses is fun and motivating and out of the box compared to sitting in a doctors office for therapy Builds strength and confidence Increases coordination, fine motor skills, listening skills and independence along with many other things

Any other questions for me?

Summary Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhW6bnRZDjs

Resources http://www.pathintl.org https://www.youtube.com/user/pathintlvideo www.opentrailranch.org