PATH Intl. Membership Benefit From NTRA
Through an agreement with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, PATH Intl. Members are entitled to special savings on products used for equine farms, businesses or personal use. To enroll and enjoy the benefits, call (866) 678-4289 or email Jenny McCoy at NTRA.

Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International

Title Sponsor: Purina

December 2, 2014

Every Picture Says a Thousand Words - Holiday Appeal

Every picture says a thousand words.

The PATH Intl. annual holiday appeal is being delivered to mailboxes across the land. The images used on the appeal have generated a lot of interest.

It's all true! Each photo used represents individuals (with two legs or four!) from PATH Intl. Member Centers, and each tells its own unique story. The individuals included are as follows:

Front Cover: 2014 PATH Intl. Region 9 Equine of Honor Sidney and holiday snow buddies, Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Hailey, ID. Photo courtesy of photographer Caroline Woodham, also of Hailey.

Inside 1: Cpl. Nicholoas Montijo, a Wounded Warrior Project alumnus from Brave Hearts Therapeutic Riding and Education Center, Poplar Grove, IL. Nick is now a PATH Intl. Certified Instructor! Click here for more information about Cpl. Montijo.

Inside 2: Jim Dunlap ,a participant at Front Range Exceptional Equestrians, Ft. Collins, CO, describing a transformative moment.

Inside 3: 2014 PATH Intl. James Brady Professional Achievement Award Recipient, PATH Intl. Advanced Certified Instructor, Life Member and Legacy Donor Ainslie Kraeck. Click here for more information about Ainslie Kraeck.

Outside Cover: Linda Moran, shown doing what she does best: contributing to the success of participants as the Region 3 Volunteer of the year, Rocking Horse Ranch Therapeutic Riding Program, Greenville, NC

Thank you to everyone who shared their journey and their images. Please consider helping PATH Intl. achieve its goals by giving what you can. Thank you.

10% Off PATH Intl. Merchandise

Forget Black Friday, Cyber Monday and all the rest of the over-hyped, one-day shopping madness, PATH Intl. is having a sale all month! All customizable items in the PATH Intl. Pro Shop are 10% off during the month of December. Finish your Christmas shopping with a few simple clicks and never fight a crowd. And while you're at it, you should probably also give yourself a gift you can wear all year. Wear your PATH Intl. gear everywhere. Show your participants and their families, colleagues and community that you are part of PATH Intl. and proud to comply with PATH Intl. Standards, demonstrating that you maintain the safest, most ethical and most effective programs possible. Click here to start shopping!

Task Force Volunteers Working Hard on Your Behalf

In alignment with the PATH Intl. Strategic Plan, the Board of Trustees, on January 27, 2014, chartered a special task force. This Quality Assurance Task Force would work closely with staff over the next year to look at processes within the organization to address professional ethics, professional discipline, conflicts of interest, grievances and appeals to determine and implement best practices in testing and training, in association governance and in the stewardship of our members.

A call for volunteers went out to the membership and over 40 people responded. Based on their qualifications, the following team was assembled and has been working toward the above goals on your behalf in order to strengthen your professional membership association and the EAAT industry as a whole. Thanks to:

Chair: Teresa Morris, Chagrin Falls, OH

Kathy Corbett, Dayton, OH

Ellen Kerrigan Dry, Washington DC

Trisha Egleson, Cicero, IN

Brad Glazer, Rougemont, NC

Donald Jackson, West Point, NY

Merriam Mashatt, McLean, VA

Nancy Paschall, Williamsburg, VA

Max Resnick, Perkasie, PA

Sandy Sibley, Columbus, NC

Kim Strifert, Birmingham, AL

Today Is Giving Tuesday

Today, December 2, is Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. Charities, families, businesses and organizations around the world, including many PATH Intl. Member Centers, will come together to celebrate generosity and to give. We would love to hear about your centers' fundraising efforts on Facebook or Twitter, #GivingTuesday, #PATHIntl.

If you would like to support PATH Intl. on Giving Tuesday, please donate at www.pathintl.org.

Center Membership Renewals

Thank you for your commitment to safety, ethical practices and professionalism in equine-assisted activities and therapies. To ensure that PATH Intl. continues to provide your center with premium education and to maintain uninterrupted access to the wealth of benefits available to PATH Intl. centers, please renew your center membership by December 31.

Online center renewal for 2015 is now available. Online registration makes it especially easy to renew your registration before it expires. With the elimination of paper, you'll end any worry about losing your form on the desk or in the mail.

Click here to renew online. NOTE: The center's primary contact or executive director must be logged in to their personal account in order to renew online.

If you need to update the primary contact for your center, please send in a center change notification form or a premier accredited center change notification form.

Of course, if you prefer to send in a hard copy renewal, that is still an option. Download and complete the center renewal booklet and renewal invoice, and mail it in.

Click here to download the center renewal booklet.

Centers that prefer to pay by check may now complete the center renewal booklet online and mail a check for center membership dues.

For more information about renewing your center membership, please visit our FAQ page or the Center Renewal page.

Equine Tips From the PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Committee

Creating an Equine Barn Buddy Program
By Cathy Languerand, Chair, PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Committee

The Barn Buddy Program connects an active volunteer who is familiar with the horses and has competent and independent horse handling skills with one horse for a weekly commitment. During this time the volunteer will spend quality time with their barn buddy. This quality time will include grooming, using a refined healing touch, hand walking, ground work and play time (depending on volunteer skill level). Read more ...

The PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Committee is making a commitment to refine and deepen our perspective of equine well-being to include the physical, mental and emotional well-being of our wonderful four-legged partners. We invite you to join us on this journey. Please add your thoughts on the PATH Intl. Community Connections page. It is our desire that these tips start a further discussion on Community Connections. Any thoughts? We appreciate hearing from you!

WWP & PATH Intl. Level 2 Warrior Intensive Workshop Pilot Program

PATH Intl. and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) are excited to announce the Level Two Warrior Intensive Workshop Pilot Program for 2015! These workshops will provide opportunities for 40 WWP Alumni, who have completed a minimum of one session (10 lessons) to further their horsemanship skills in advanced-level, themed workshops hosted by PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Centers: BraveHearts Therapeutic Riding in Harvard, IL, and Rainier Therapeutic Riding in Yelm, WA.

All workshop, travel, lodging and meal costs for warriors will be funded by WWP.

For more information and an application, please contact Stefani Viktora-Anderson.

Thank you to Wounded Warrior Project for its continued recognition of the benefits of EAAT for wounded veterans and for helping to make this amazing program possible!

SmartPak Horse of the Month
SmartPak is looking to choose the next Horse of the Month, which will receive $100 of SmartPak products for a month. Nominate your horse for a chance to win! Photos are highly encouraged!

PATH Intl. Events Calendar

Unless otherwise noted, contact Bret Maceyak at (800) 369-7433, ext. 114, with questions. All dates are subject to change. To register for an event, please contact the host site directly. You can locate contact information under Find a Center on the PATH Intl. homepage or on the PATH Intl. events calendar.

PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning Workshop and Practical Skills Testing

February 19-22, 2015

Equine-Assisted Therapies of South Florida, Inc., Coconut Creek, FL

March 12-15, 2015
Dream Catchers at the Cori Sikich Riding Center, Williamsburg, VA

April 11-14, 2015
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Old Lyme, CT

April 16-19, 2015
GAIT Therapeutic Riding Center, Milford, PA

PATH Intl. Advanced Certification
May 27-29, 2015
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Old Lyme, CT

Please visit the PATH Intl. events calendar for a list of 2014-15 Registered On-Site Workshops and Certifications.

Please direct correspondence about this newsletter to PATH Intl. eNews coordinator. PATH Intl. eNews is a benefit of Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International membership. No portion of this publication may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, scanned or electronic process without written permission from PATH Intl. PATH Intl. reserves the right to reject, accept and edit submitted material. PATH Intl. eNews is intended as an information exchange and an opportunity for communication for members in the field of equine assisted activities. The opinions, practices or products presented in PATH Intl. eNews do not necessarily reflect PATH Intl. policy, imply PATH Intl. endorsement, or comply with PATH Intl. standards.

If you prefer not to hear from us, just click on the "safe unsubscribe" below and we will remove you from our mailing list. Removing your email address from the PATH Intl. member database will prevent you from receiving all email correspondence including event notices and other time-sensitive correspondence.