NARHA News Masthead
In This Issue
Office Closed
Integration of NARHA and EFMHA
New Committee, Task Force Chairs and Liaisons
ACMS Supports Scholarship
New Certification
Host a NARHA Event
Online Center Renewal
Instructor Report
TR Program Awarded Grant
Workshops and Certifications
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NARHA Office Closed  
The NARHA national office will be closed December 24, 2010 through January 2, 2011.

Happy holidays everyone!
candy caneDecember 21, 2010
Integration of NARHA and EFMHA  
Thank you Trish Broersma, Martha McNeil and Priscilla Marden for making the trip to the NARHA office to help work on integrating equine-facilitated psychotherapy and learning messages into the NARHA website copy.

Trish, Martha and Priscilla's valuable knowledge will help lead NARHA into a future where the whole person will benefit from partnering with the horse.

 For more information about the NARHA/EFMHA integration, please click here.
New Committee, Task Force Chairs and Staff Liaisons  
There are several changes to the leadership of NARHA's committees and task forces. Some of these changes have already been implemented and others take effect on January 1, 2011.
 
Programs & Standards Oversight Committee - Teresa Morris is the new chair
Accreditation Subcommittee - Nicole Pepper is the staff liaison effective January 1
Riding Certification Subcommittee - Marsha Anderson is the incoming chair effective January 1
Driving Certification Subcommittee - Corie Brooks is the incoming chair effective January 1
EFL (Equine-Facilitated Learning) Standards Development Task Force - Michael Kaufmann is the appointed chair
Equine Specialist Certification Subcommittee - Mandy Hogan is the incoming co-chair effective January 1
Health & Education Advisory - Carrie Garnett is the staff liaison effective January 1
Equine Welfare Task Force - Kristin Mason is the new chair
Faculty Development Work Group - Carrie Garnett is the staff liaison effective January 1
National Conference Host Task Force - Kim Henning is the chair for the 2011 national conference
Education Publications
Business Model Task Force - Teresa Morris is the new chair
Membership Oversight Committee - Dani Bohm is the incoming chair effective January 1
 
Members can view NARHA's committees, task forces and work groups, the chairs, members and staff liaisons through their personal accounts via the NARHA website. Log in, click "My Account" and then select "Committees Leadership" from the left-hand menu.
 
Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooters Support Shootout Scholarship
 		  
Participants in the Arizona Cowboy Mounted ShootingThe Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooters recently joined with the Wahl Dare to Dream Shootout put on by Horses Help Therapeutic Riding Center in Phoenix, AZ, to support the Preston Kiley Legacy Scholarship, which honors Preston Kiley, a Horses Help's therapy client who passed away this past spring. Susan Turner with Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooters announced that its shooting events for the year would support the scholarship. The Wahl Dare to Dream Shootout took place December 4, 2010, with shooters from ACMSA and riders from Horses Help teaming up to compete. For information about the Arizona Cowboy Mounted Shooters, click here. For information about the scholarship or about Horses Help, click here.
NARHA Announces New Certification
 		  
It is with great enthusiasm that the NARHA Equine Specialist Certification Subcommittee and the NARHA staff announce the Equine Specialist for Mental Health and Learning Certification. Equine-Facilitated Learning and Equine-Facilitated Psychotherapy are rapidly growing fields, and this certification is meant to improve the experience for all involved. A lot of hard work has been done by the Equine Specialist Certification Subcommittee to respond to the need of the growing mental health field within NARHA.

The Equine Specialist for Mental Health and Learning certification certifies an individual as the horse handler in any un-mounted mental health or learning session. If the session is mounted, a NARHA certified instructor will continue to supervise the activity. 

Please visit the NARHA website for a copy of the certification booklet and complete details on the requirements of the certification.

The pilot for the first horsemanship skills test will be held in Florida in February in conjunction with the NARHA Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning workshop, both of which are required to gain certification. If you are interested in attending the pilot, please contact the NARHA office or click here to download the application.
 
Many of our NARHA members are already preparing for the new certification and have long awaited its release. A big thank you to all for your patience and excitement!

Contact Tara McChesney, (800) 369-RIDE (7433), ext. 114, with questions regarding the Equine Specialist for Mental Health and Learning Certification or the workshop.
Host a NARHA Event in 2011
 		  
Equine Specialist Workshops: Please join us in celebrating the release of the Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning certification. NARHA would like to accommodate individuals eager to be certified by holding more workshops and practical horsemanship skills tests. Please help us get workshops scheduled for 2011! Workshops will now be offered with the new Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning practical horsemanship skills test if the host site chooses. Host sites can also host the practical horsemanship skills test without a workshop if they wish. This skills test is a requirement for certification.

If anyone is interested in hosting at their NARHA Premier Accredited center or for more information, contact Tara McChesney, (800) 369-7433, ext. 114.

Intent to Host: Click here to download the intent to host forms for all NARHA events. NARHA hopes that 2011 will be full of exciting events! Please read through the intent to host packets for details concerning hosting an event. We would love to add more driving workshops, vaulting workshops and certifications to the 2011 calendar!

Contact Kelly Sullivan, (800) 369-RIDE (7433) with any questions regarding the 2011 workshops or hosting process. Thank you!
NARHA Center Renewal Due December 31st  
As a reminder, center renewals are due by December 31. A $50 late fee will be assessed to centers that renew after January 15, 2011. The 90-day membership renewal grace period begins on January 1, 2011.
 
Online center renewal 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 his or her personal account in order to renew online.
 
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 from the NARHA website, and mail it in. Click here to download the center renewal booklet.

New this year, centers that prefer to pay by check may now complete the Center Renewal booklet online and mail a check for center membership dues.
Reminder: Send in Your Instructor Report
 		  
If you are renewing your center membership online, be sure to send in your instructor report. The membership department has received many online renewals but only a handful of instructor reports. Your center will be considered non-compliant if the instructor report is not received in the NARHA office by January 15.
Therapeutic Riding Program Awarded Grant
 		  
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., Old Lyme, CT, has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving to support its programs delivering more than 7,300 horsemanship lessons per year to children and adults with disabilities.

"At a time that is difficult for everyone, we are so grateful that the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation has selected High Hopes for such a generous gift," said Kitty Stalsburg, executive director of High Hopes.  "This gift will be used to help keep our therapeutic horsemanship programs among the best in the country."

High Hopes is a NARHA Premier Accredited Center. It provides training courses in therapeutic riding instruction and has trained over 180 instructors from all over the world.  
http://www.highhopestr.org
Workshops and Certifications  
Unless otherwise noted, contact Tara McChesney at (800) 369-7433, ext. 114, or [email protected] for further information. All dates are subject to change.

NARHA Driving Workshops and Certifications
Workshop is held the first 3 days, certification held the last 2 days
April 26-29, 2011
WindRidge Therapeutic Equestrian Center
Longview, TX

Please visit the NARHA calendar for a list of registered on-site workshops and certifications. Please note the list is not complete; there will be more NARHA Registered OSWC events added.
 
Please direct correspondence about this newsletter to NARHA News coordinator. NARHA News is a benefit of NARHA membership. No portion of this publication may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, scanned or electronic process without written permission from NARHA. NARHA reserves the right to reject, accept and edit submitted material. NARHA News 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 NARHA News do not necessarily reflect NARHA policy, imply NARHA endorsement or comply with NARHA standards.