Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) announced that their 10th year anniversary campaign surpassed its goal in 2015. This new campaign fund of $120,900, will be invested in a research project to investigate the therapeutic effects of horses on humans. Up to $100,000 will be given to fund an awarded grant and the remainder will offset assessment, administration and management expenses. The Foundation’s broad research agenda includes basic research that will ultimately impact physical/mental health and quality of life for those engaged in equine-assisted activities/therapies.
In HHRF’s first decade the foundation awarded 10 investigative grants averaging $50,000/project. The HHRF board feels that this larger grant will result in an increasingly robust research project with increased analytical capacity and the potential for additional data collection cycles, more stringent sampling procedures and greater statistical significance. The equine assisted activity and therapy field has a significant need for research that will move it toward evidenced based practices.
Campaign chairman Alison Zack Darrell (Stoningham, CT) and honorary campaign chairman, Molly Sweeney (Hockley, TX) provided leadership for the campaign. Ms. Sweeney stated, “Thanks to the generosity of our Anniversary Campaign donors, HHRF will now be able to offer more rigorous research resulting in a greater relevance on the field of horse-centered and equine assisted programs of all types. There are exciting new developments on the horizon that I believe will get us closer and closer to understanding how the horse manages to have such a profound impact on the well-being of people.”
Interested research teams should watch the HHRF website for the call for proposals which will be posted in coming weeks.
Make a contribution to HHRF today and help ensure that this important research continues. For more information on the foundation, or on becoming a donor, contact KC Henry, Executive Director, KCHenry@horsesandhumans.org.
Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) is dedicated to funding research to support the equine-assisted activities and therapies field. Since its founding, HHRF has awarded $410,000 in professional research efforts led by nine research teams in the United States, Canada and Germany. HHRF is a non-endowed foundation dependent solely on donations. To make a donation and/or learn more about this and other Horses and Humans Research Foundation projects visit http://www.HorsesandHumans.org. Through investment in rigorous research, Horses and Humans Research Foundation will serve as a catalyst to advance knowledge of horses and their potential to impact the health and wellness of people.
