Combined Federal Campaign
PATH Intl. is once again participating in the Combined Federal Campaign. If you are a federal employee or member of the military interested in donating to PATH Intl., give through your paycheck by selecting PATH Intl. (CFC #23051) as your charity of choice.

It Adds Up

Is it easier for you to give $120 or $10? For most of us, it's a lot easier to come up with $10. However, $10 a month is $120 a year. Did you know you could give a weekly, monthly or yearly gift to PATH Intl.? Through our partner Giving First, you can easily set up this type of gift. If you give $10 a month, or $120 a year, it's enough to pay for one day of learning for a scholarship recipient at the PATH Intl. conference. Click here to learn more.

Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International

November 6, 2012

PATH Intl. Conference Handouts
The PATH Intl. Conference and Annual Meeting is over for another year. The conference in Bellevue was better attended than we thought it might be due to Hurricane Sandy. We're glad so many people from the East Coast were able to make it! A full conference wrap-up is on its way. In the meantime, handouts from the conference are available by clicking here.

Friends Affected by Hurricane Sandy

We know that many areas on the East Coast were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Even now, many remain without power. If you know of a PATH Intl. member or center that has needs due to the hurricane, please let us know. Each region has a PATH Intl. Community Connections page. Log in to your region's page and post what needs you know of. Keep us at the PATH Intl. office informed and we'll make every effort to help where we can.

Just a reminder that PATH Intl. has a Disaster Relief Fund. Click here for information on eligibility or click here to download the application form.

Thank You to CenturyLink for Improving Lives

PATH Intl. recently received a thank you from Pikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center, a PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Center in Colorado. Read it below.

PPTRC was granted a PATH Intl. CenturyLink Scholarship for a new participant on the autism spectrum to benefit from therapeutic horsemanship. PATH Intl. continues to work diligently to find opportunities that will benefit the membership, especially peer-reviewed Premier Accredited Centers.
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Dear PATH Intl.,

I'm happy to share with you that our recipients of the Century Link PATH Intl. scholarship are enjoying a fun and productive fall session at PPTRC. These two riders are receiving the individual attention that enables them to get the most out of each class. I asked the parents to share their thoughts about the experience, and here are their responses:

"First of all, I want to tell you how thankful we are that [our daughter] was given such a wonderful opportunity! She is absolutely loving the experience. During her sessions, she has demonstrated increased ability to plan fine motor movements. She was giving commands in sign as well as producing the beginning and ending sounds of words like walk, and combining two words together when making a verbal attempt such as "walk on." This is really awesome because she is completely non verbal. It's not that she won't talk, her apraxia causes a disconnect from her brain to her fine muscles. She really wants to talk and often tries so hard to make it come out of her mouth. So the speech production that she was able to accomplish was amazing and I know she felt a great sense of pride and confidence that she was able to communicate like this. Her autism also creates a social and emotional barrier between her and other people. Being on a horse and learning how to work with the horse helps the child form a bond with the animal and can be a gateway then, to be able to then expand that experience to the people that helped them with the horse and then other people in different settings as well such as teachers, or family members. During her most recent visit, as her trainer walked up to greet her, she made deliberate eye contact with her and reached up and grabbed her trainer's hand! That was so exciting!
Thanks again for helping to make this possible!"
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"I am so grateful that we have this opportunity for [our son]. He loves all kinds of animals and enjoys riding and interacting with the horses so much. Many thanks to Century Link and Playdate!"

PPTRC is very pleased for the opportunity to provide therapeutic riding for these children, and we share the families' pride in their accomplishments. Thank you so much for supporting these riders!

Nancy Beers
PPTRC Program Director

Give Where You Live on Colorado Gives Day

Support PATH Intl. on Colorado Gives Day! 100% of your donation goes to PATH Intl., and the value of your donation will be increased by the FirstBank Incentive Fund. Donate online at www.givingfirst.org/PATH any time during the 24-hour period (Mountain Standard Time) of Tuesday, December 4, to "Give where you live!"

In the spirit of "Give where you live," PATH Intl. will underwrite a free 2013 regional conference registration to the PATH Intl. region with the most money raised AND the region with the largest number of unique donations. That's a total of two regional conference registrations underwritten by PATH Intl. for your region. Donate to PATH Intl. on December 4 by scanning the code or by visiting the GivingFirst website.

Equine Tips From the Equine Welfare Committee

Equine Dental Tips

By Carrie Niederman, Equine Dental Veterinarian, and Patty D'Andrea, PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Committee member

All horses should have an annual dental examination. Click here to read what the dental examination will monitor and other tips about equine dental care.

The Equine Welfare Committee encourages positive and engaging educational exploration from our readers. We'd love to hear your feedback! Please let us know if you have any questions about our tip or have a suggestion about specific topics you would be interested in learning more about in the future. Email Kristin Mason, PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Committee chair. Thank you!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Please join us in the PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Community Group!
We invite you to participate in lively, thought-provoking and sometimes controversial discussions on the Equine Welfare Community online group. No matter what your specific interest (equine-facilitated psychotherapy, therapeutic riding, hippotherapy, carriage driving, interactive vaulting, etc.), they all involve working with equine partners. This is the long-awaited resource for all PATH Intl. members to exchange ideas, ask questions, offer comments and suggestions, and "pick the brains" of some of our industry's most experienced and qualified people. You can access the forum through the PATH Intl. website. If you have any questions about joining the Equine Welfare Community, please email the moderator, Patty D'Andrea.

PATH Intl. Events Calendar

Unless otherwise noted, contact Denise Fager 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 its contact information under Find a Center on the PATH Intl. home page or on the PATH Intl. events calendar.

PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning Workshop and Practical Skills Testing
January 2-6, 2013
Horses Help in Phoenix, AZ

PATH Intl. Driving Workshop and Certification combination event
Workshop is held the first 2-1/2 days, certification held the last 2-1/2 days. Specific schedule sent by host site.
None scheduled at this time.

PATH Intl. Advanced Certification Event
November 16-18, 2012
Maryland Therapeutic Riding in Annapolis, MD

February 21-24, 2013

Good Hope Equestrian Center, Inc. in Miami, FL

March 14-16, 2013
Equest in Wylie, TX

May 28-30, 2013
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding in Old Lyme, CT

PATH Intl. Vaulting Workshop/Certification Event

None scheduled at this time.

PATH Intl. Mentor Training

February 9-10, 2013
St. Andrews Ride Like A Knight in Laurinburg, NC

Please visit the PATH Intl. events calendar for a list of 2012 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.