Many excellent opportunities present themselves to PATH Intl. Conference attendees every year. This year, PATH Intl. is excited to offer two phenomenal speakers at the PATH Intl. Conference and Annual Meeting, presented by title sponsor Purina, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2014, in San Diego, California.
Dr. Aubrey Fine, California State Polytechnic University, will be the feature luncheon speaker on Oct. 30. Fine is an expert on attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He will overview ADHD and its implications to a child’s life. Attention will be given to discussing the etiology of the disorder as well as the impact the disorder has on the social/cognitive and behavior of these children. Special attention will be given to explaining the psycho-social challenges these children face in the areas of social skills and resilience due to the pervasiveness of the disorder. Finally, Fine will highlight how equine-assisted activities and therapies can effectively work with this population and make interactions more meaningful and valuable. Fine is the author of several books including Therapist’s Guide to Learning and Attention Disorders and The Handbook on Animal Assisted Therapy.
The general session on Oct. 31 and two special workshops during the horse expo on Nov. 1 will feature world-renowned horse clinician Chris Irwin. As a pioneer in both the evolution of enlightened horsemanship techniques and the emergence of equine-assisted personal development coaching, Chris inspires, educates and entertains with a lifetime of revolutionary insights on his groundbreaking work in his talk “Horse Sense for Human Potential.” This is a comprehensive body, mind and spirit overview, defining how different handling and training techniques affect, for better or worse, the behavior, performance potential and well-being of not only the horses, but also for ourselves and the people we aspire to serve. The two workshops during the horse expo will build on this general session topic showing how the behavior and performance potential of horses is subject to the behavior of their human handlers and trainers. Chris reveals how to evolve our techniques in order to truly simulate equine body language and be able to communicate, bond and establish a genuine leadership connection. This will be a profound demonstration of empathy with horses so we can help them learn how to learn.
The PATH Intl. Conference is packed with many educational, entertaining and provocative sessions. Early bird registration is now taking place and ends Sept. 17. Visit the PATH Intl. Conference page for details or call Amanda Walters at (800) 369-7433, ext. 105.
The Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.) was formed in 1969 to promote equine-assisted activities and therapies for individuals with special needs. At 852 member centers, more than 58,000 children and adults find a sense of independence through involvement with horses. These member centers range from small, one-person programs to large operations with several certified instructors and licensed therapists. In addition to therapeutic equitation, a center may offer any number of equine-assisted activities including hippotherapy, equine-facilitated mental health, driving, interactive vaulting, trail riding, competition, ground work or stable management. Through a wide variety of educational resources, the association helps individuals start and maintain successful equine-assisted activities and therapies for individuals with special needs. There are nearly 53,000 volunteers, 4,544 instructors, 7,733 equines and thousands of contributors from all over the world helping people at PATH Intl. centers.
