Thank you to everyone who participated in the PATH Intl. Member Purchasing Preferences Survey this summer. All the prizes have been distributed.

Your input is extremely valuable in helping PATH Intl. reach new sponsors and grow the support for your association. As an example of the information you helped us gather, 76% of PATH Intl. members share their lives with dogs, and 56% share their lives with cats. Thank you!

CFC Campaign
Are you a member of the military or a civilian working for the U.S. federal government? Do you have friends or family who are employed by the U.S. government? If so, you can support PATH Intl. through the Combined Federal Campaign this fall. The PATH Intl. CFC# is 23051. Thank you for your service to our country!

Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International

Recipients of the 2013 Equine Industry Vision Award

sponsored by Zoetis, presented by American Horse Publications

October 1, 2013

Welcome to Our Newest Sponsor

PATH Intl. welcomes Equicizer as the latest pewter-level sponsor for the 2013 PATH Intl. Conference and Annual Meeting! Equicizer has generously donated a Classic Equicizer to PATH Intl. The Equicizer is a mechanical horse that simulates riding so you can improve overall fitness and practice skills.

If you or your center have been thinking about getting an Equicizer, the timing is right. Check your budget and come prepared to bid on this $3,000 item at the live auction before the PATH Intl. Awards Banquet on Friday night at the conference. Bidding will start at $1,000.

Thank you, Equicizer!

Conference Updates and Highlights

Session Highlights

If you work with the visually impaired, two sessions will be of interest to you. First, "The Power of Vision" on Friday with Stephanie Clausen-Kubarth and Wendy Miklaszewski will show you how to screen for vision issues in your participants who may be undiagnosed and how to apply techniques to impact your riders. Then, during the Horse Expo on Saturday, the session "Alternative Teaching for the Blind and Visually Impaired: Equestrian Leadership" with Jack Wood and Carol Young will demonstrate a hands-on approach to working with this population in learning horsemanship. Audience volunteers will practice groundwork skills while blindfolded.

Looking for a Roommate?

If you are looking to share a room, suite or villa for the conference, check on the PATH Intl. website for a list of others who are looking or who have a room booked. If you would like to place your name on the list, email Cher Smith or call her at (800) 369-7433, ext. 123.

OrLaNDo FuN FaCTs

The Greater Orlando area is home to 71 skyscrapers. The tallest is SunTrust Center in downtown Orlando, which stands at 441 feet.

Orlando was originally named Jernigan, after the first permanent settler in the area, Aaron Jernigan. After being removed from his military position against his will, it was deemed inappropriate for the city to continue to hold the name of an officer with a negative reputation. In 1857 the city was renamed "Orlando."

PATH Intl. Society of Visionaries Luncheon Speaker

No One Does It Alone

We all love the thrill of the Olympics as we watch athletes excelling at something for which they have trained most of their lives. Our hearts beat faster as each team member contributes to the win, somehow becoming more collectively than they were as individuals. But what is it like to be those athletes, to participate on a team rather than be a spectator?

We invite you to have lunch with a very special conference guest: Olympian Kyle Carter, member of the 2008 Canada Equestrian Team at the Olympic Games in Hong Kong, China. Competing in Hong Kong, Kyle had one of the best cross country rounds of the day. Kyle also competed in the World Equestrian Games ('10) where he and his Canadian teammates became WEG Silver Medalists. Kyle is also a national ambassador for Purina, title sponsor of the PATH Intl. Conference and Annual Meeting.

This year's conference theme of Destination: Success is highlighted in the success Kyle has had, but that success is not earned alone. It is found in partnership and teamwork, a collaborative effort of all involved. Kyle focuses his efforts first on creating a partnership between horse and rider, a partnership founded on mutual trust and constant communication. As Kyle sees it, partnership is the most basic element of success.

Kyle will motivate your dedication and inspire us to go the distance as we pursue our own passions, including the success of PATH Intl.

The luncheon will be Friday, November 8, at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL, during the lunch break at the conference. Tickets for this special event are $75, and benefit the PATH Intl. Society of Visionaries projects. Click here to register. (Please note special dietary needs when you register.)

For more information on Kyle, visit the Carter Eventing website

About the Society of Visionaries

The Society of Visionaries is made up of a distinguished group of PATH Intl. members and friends who are devoted to sustaining its excellence and ensuring its future. Working as a team, this society enables PATH Intl. to provide the expertise, education and standards required to guide instructors, other professionals and centers in the provision of safe and meaningful equine-assisted activities and therapies to individuals with physical, developmental and emotional challenges during critical periods of their lives.

Each year, Society of Visionaries funds are applied to further specific initiatives, advancing PATH Intl. toward its vision of being a global authority, resource and advocate for EAAT and the equines in this work that inspires and enriches the human spirit.

Board Member Conducts Equine Demonstration for Medical Community

Joahn-Hall Dr. Joahn Hall, a family practitioner in Kansas City, MO, and a PATH Intl. Board of Trustees member, recently gave a presentation to the residents and doctors at the Family Practice Residency program. The first 30 minutes of the presentation were in the classroom, but the fun started in the second half of the presentation when the class moved outdoors. The doctors and residents were able to interact with the horses in an equine activity demonstration in the arena Dr. Hall built in a grassy area next to the parking lot. "It was a lot of effort, but it was so worth it," she said. The presentation was met with such enthusiasm Dr. Hall (pictured on the right with the horses and doctors looking on) has been asked to present at the hospital's noon conference.

Connecticut Court Weighs if Horses Are Inherently Vicious

A hearing is currently before the Connecticut Supreme Court that could have ramifications on EAAT centers. Lawyers for a Milford, CT, farmer warned that horse ownership could be changed if the high court rules that the animals are naturally vicious. The hearing centers around a 2006 case in which a young boy was bitten on the cheek when he tried to pet the animal.

Read more about the case here.

Click here to post on a Facebook page started to combat the ruling.

Click here to sign a petition for the Connecticut Supreme Court to overturn the appellate ruling that all Connecticut horses are inherently vicious.

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. homepage or on the PATH Intl. events calendar.

PATH Intl. Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning Workshop and Practical Skills Testing
October 17-20, 2013
Healing Reins Therapeutic Riding Center in Bend, OR

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

April 3-6, 2014
Dream Catchers at the Cori Sikich Riding Center

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

PATH Intl. Advanced Certification Event
October 18-20, 2013
Horses Help in Phoenix, AZ

December 13-15, 2013
Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center in Chagrin Falls, OH

April 11-13, 2014
Ivey Ranch Park Association in Oceanside, CA

May 28-30, 2014
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding, Inc., in Old Lyme, CT

PATH Intl. Mentor Training

November 5-6, 2013
PATH Intl. Conference and Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL

December 7-8, 2013
Pegasus Therapeutic Riding, Inc., in Brewster, NY

Please visit the PATH Intl. events calendar for a list of 2013 and 2014 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.