Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.)

Training Program for a Proven Curriculum for Equine-Assisted Therapy for Veterans with PTSD Symptoms

Location: National

Equine-assisted therapy (EAT) offers an alternative treatment modality for veterans who suffer from PTSD and who do not benefit from mental healthcare in more traditional clinical settings. In EAT, a mental healthcare professional and equine specialist often collaborate in an experientially-oriented treatment approach that uses the horse as a therapeutic tool.  However, to date no fully-specified, research-based treatment manuals or adherence scales have existed for EAT to serve veterans with PTSD, and thus EAT has not provided a valid, evidence-based treatment option for this population. The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) will partner with the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical, which has developed the first evidence-based curriculum for EAT serving veterans with PTSD symptoms, to implement and evaluate the delivery of the curriculum. This NFL-BWF Healthy Lifestyles and Creating Community (HLCC) grant will train and qualify EAT providers in communities across the nation, to ensure that post-9/11 veterans receive this important outdoor recreational therapy safely and effectively.