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.

Riding Subcommittee Seeks Member
The PATH Intl. Riding Certification Subcommittee seeks one enthusiastic new member to join the committee. Applicants should have a strong interest in therapeutic riding and desire to continue the development and improve the PATH Intl. Riding Instructor Certification Process. Click here for description and criteria.

Pentagon Rules No Reimbursement for Hippotherapy Recipient
Click here to read a story regarding the Pentagon's decision not to cover hippotherapy for the daughter of a Navy Captain. Click here to share your views with John Cornyn, Republican senator from Texas who seems to support the idea that hippotherapy was indeed helping this participant.

Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International

December 4, 2012

Award Winners Highlight of the PATH Intl. Conference

The PATH Intl. Awards Banquet is always one of the highlights of the conference. It is a gratifying reminder of why we do what we do. The banquet in Bellevue, WA, on November 2, was an exceptional showcase for our industry. The evening began with a well-received musical performance by the Northshore Wranglers, a program that offers activities, advocacy and support for individuals of all ages with special needs. The live auction, featuring a trip to Mexico and a trip to Hawaii raised the excitement level of everyone in attendance. Many smiles and tears followed the announcement of each award winner. The crowning moment of the evening was the announcement of the organization's closely guarded secret, the James Brady Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Sandy Webster of Giant Steps Therapeutic Equestrian Center.

A special thank you to Purina for once again sponsoring the travel for the PATH Intl. equestrian winners and their families.

The following people received 2012 PATH Intl. Achievement Awards

(PATH Intl. Premier Accredited Centers are in red). Click here for regional and international winners.

James Brady Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by Equus Foundation):Sandy Webster, Giant Steps Therapeutic Equestrian Center, Petaluma, CA

PATH Intl. Adult Equestrian Recognition Award (sponsored by Purina): Katelyn Parry, Region 2, Maryland Therapeutic Riding, Crownsville, MD

PATH Intl. Child Equestrian Award (travel sponsored by Purina): Isaac Raske, Region 7, Friends for Therapeutic Equine Activities, Warrenville, IL

PATH Intl. Independent Adult Equestrian Recognition Award (travel sponsored by Purina):

Cliff Uber, Region 10, Hearts and Horses, Inc., Loveland, CO (Please see the article about Cliff Uber below.)

PATH Intl. Youth Equestrian Recognition Award (travel sponsored by Purina): Robert Wells, Region 5, Saddle Up!, Franklin, TN

PATH International Equine Services for Heroes of the Year (sponsored by Bimeda/Equimax): Cathy Davis, Region 2, Maryland Therapeutic Riding, Crownsville, MD

PATH Intl. Sis Gould Driving Award: Orphy Beattie, Region 6, River Valley Riders, Bayport, MN

PATH Intl. Equine of the Year Award (sponsored by American Quarter Horse Association): Champagne, Region 7, Therapeutic Horsemanship, Wentzville, MO

PATH Intl. Certified Professional of the Year (sponsored by Purina): Carrie Bunge, Region 7, Friends for Therapeutic Equine Activities, Warrenville, IL

PATH Intl. Volunteer of the Year (sponsored by AIM/Equine Network): Shane Clarke, Region 11, Partners Therapeutic Horsemanship, Lakeside, CA

PATH Intl. Volunteer Veterinarian of the Year (sponsored by Luitpold Pharmaceuticals): Dr. Mark Fitch, Region 10, Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center, Longmont, CO

PATH Intl. President's Award: Ross Braun, PATH Intl. Board of Trustees member, New Haven, MO

PATH Intl. Volunteer Leadership Recognition Award: Membership: Lesley Shear

PATH Intl. Volunteer Leadership Recognition Award: Education: Michelle Weed

PATH Intl. Volunteer Leadership Recognition Award: Programs and Standards: Sharon Butler

Colorado Gives Day Benefits PATH Intl.

Today is Colorado Gives Day! Give where you live and support your PATH Intl. region!

Don't live in Colorado? Colorado Gives Day is open to everyone, and since PATH Intl. believes that your donation should benefit your community, we encourage members of all 11 PATH Intl. Regions to donate through Colorado Gives Day. As an incentive, both the region with the most money raised AND the region with the largest number of unique donations will receive a free registration to their 2013 regional conference. (A region's donations will be determined by the donor's zip code unless a different region is specified by the donor.)

In addition, for each donation made to PATH Intl. on December 4, 2012, FirstBank will provide PATH Intl. with a percentage of its $300,000 incentive fund, so your donation will help PATH Intl. do more.

THANK YOU

for your wonderful support at this special time of year

and in every season!

10% Off All Items in the PATH Intl. Pro Shop

If you've already made your list and are checking it twice, it doesn't even matter if you've been naughty or nice! Because for everybody, all items in the PATH Intl. Pro Shop have been discounted by 10% for the month of December! All items can be custom embroidered with the PATH Intl. logo of your choice - Certified Instructor, PATH International Equine Services for Heroes, Premier Accredited Center, etc., and in most case your name! The process shown online reflect the discounted amount and orders must be placed by December 10th for Christmas delivery. Happy shopping!

Renew Your Center Membership by December 31

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 is 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 mail a hard copy renewal, that is still an option. Download and complete the Center Renewal Booklet and renewal invoice from the PATH Intl. website, and mail it in.

Click here to download the Center Renewal Booklet.

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

All center members should have received a postcard reminder in the mail with the new dues amounts indicated. This postcard is not intended to be a formal invoice. If mailing in a check payment to PATH Intl., please send in the renewal booklet with your check, not just the postcard. Your renewal is not complete until all required information is received.

For more information about renewing your center membership, please visit our FAQ page.

PATH Intl. Mourns the Death of an Award Recipient

We are saddened at the news of Cliff Uber's passing just a few weeks after the PATH Intl. Conference in Bellevue, WA, where he along with other award recipients were celebrated for their contributions to the EAAT field. Cliff was well-deserving of the PATH Intl. Independent Adult Award, and we were privileged to have spent time with him.

Information about Cliff, along with some wonderful photos, are on the Hearts and Horses Therapeutic Riding Center Facebook page and well as on its website.

Equine Tips From the Equine Welfare Committee

Considerations and Guidelines for Rider Weight Limits in Therapeutic Riding
By Marcie Ehrman, PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Committee

Although most PATH Intl. Centers have rules, guidelines and limits for a rider's weight, this has long been a sensitive and potentially controversial topic and represents a concern we all share. The solution does not lie in a predetermined chart or a preset formula but rather in the understanding and careful consideration of many complex factors. Click here to read the article.

The Equine Welfare Committee encourages positive and engaging educational exploration from our readers. We'd love to hear your feedback! 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!

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 PATH Intl. Equine Welfare Community Connections online group. You can access the group through the PATH Intl. website. If you have any questions about joining Community Connections, 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

October 23-26, 2013
Hearts and Horses, Inc., in Loveland, CO

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.
July 2-6, 2013
BraveHearts at the Bergmann Centre in Poplar Grove, IL

October 15-19, 2013
Horse Power at Touchstone Farm in Temple, NH

PATH Intl. Advanced Certification Event
February 19-20, 2013
Good Hope Equestrian Center, Inc. in Miami, FL

March 14-16, 2013
Equest in Wylie, TX

March 22-24, 2013
Horses Help in Phoenix, AZ

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.