NARHAÔ
North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc.
Appreciating the power of the horse to change lives Ô

 
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Introduction: NARHA: 25 Years of People Turning Dreams Into Reality
Testimony to the therapeutic value of horseback riding spans the ages. But the origin of organized therapeutic riding is relatively recent. The achievements in the 1950's of one woman - Liz Hartel of Denmark - are generally regarded as the impetus for the formation of therapeutic riding centers in Europe. Polio impaired Madame Hartel's mobility but not her spirit. She rehabilitated herself from wheelchair to horseback and in 1952 she won the silver medal for Grand Pris Dressage at the Helsinki Olympics. Medical and equine professionals took notice and soon centers for therapeutic riding sprang up in Europe. It didn't take long for therapeutic riding to reach the shores of the North American continent. Canadians and Americans studied what was happening in England and quickly made plans to start centers. Two of the first were the Community Association of Riding for the Disabled (CARD) in Toronto, ON, which was organized by J.J. Bauer and Dr. R.E. Renaud; and the Cheff Center for the Handicapped in Augusta, MI, with Lida McCowan as executive director. Almost as quickly these and other individuals recognized the need for an organization that could be a clearinghouse for information on therapeutic riding. Hence, on Nov. 2, 1969, 23 like-minded individuals gathered at the Red Fox Inn in Middleburg, VA, and laid the groundwork for an organization named North American Riding for the Handicapped Association.

The 1970s
NARHA's first organizational meeting was held January 28, 1970 at the Plaza Hotel in New York. Alexander Mackay-Smith, editor of Chronicle of the Horse, presided. The proposed aims and by-laws were read and accepted. The following were nominated and elected to NARHA's first board of directors for one year.

It was apparent at the second meeting that NARHA should have a logo.  The board members considered a mounted rider with crutches at the sides.  Mr. Mackay-Smith proposed that the crutches be broken.  Dr Banner suggested that the horse should be jumping over the crutches.  A modification of these ideas was approved with full crutches positioned at the sides as if the rider had cast them off.

Subsequent board meetings were scheduled in different parts of the country with the goal of having three meetings per year.  In 1971, however, the board met only once.  Many wondered if NARHA would survive.  But members quickly reaffirmed themselves and each president brought a new and exciting focus to the board.  At the 1971 annual meeting, 60 individual memberships and four operating center memberships were reported.

NARHA's founders established several objectives for the Association, two of which—operating center accreditation and instructor certification—are still NARHA's most important programs.  Work on the first accreditation program began in 1975.  Because centers were already offering instructor courses, the Standards and Education Committee prepared a master instructor examination that any candidate could take, regardless of the source or structure of training.  Two years later three instructor certification examination classifications were established: Non-Orthopedic  Handicapped, Orthopedic Handicapped or Combined Orthopedic and Non-Orthopedic Handicapped. 

By 1978 the accreditation and certification programs were growing and it became apparent that the work was more than a volunteer board could handle.  Fortunately Board Member Len Warner, who had been secretary and treasurer, moved into the new and very important position of executive director.  NARHA started to move faster and further.

The 1980s
Throughout the 1980s memberships increased steadily.  In 1980 individual memberships numbered 577 and operating center memberships were 160. By the end of the decade, individual memberships numbered 731 and operating center memberships were 433.

NARHA's main funding goals during the 1980s were for accreditation, certification and education.  In 1982 the MacArthur provided funding for both certification and accreditation.  And a Million Dollar Round Table Fund grant of $20,000 revived NARHA's accreditation program.

By 1980 the accreditation process was streamlined under the Standards and Education Committee.  The examining team was enlarged.  Full accreditation was awarded to centers obtaining at least 85 percent on the first examination.  Initially, the center paid the costs of the first examination and the examination for full accreditation was at NARHA's expense. However, as demand for accreditation reviews grew, these expenses became difficult to absorb and an examination fee was set at $50.  Some felt the fee would be a deterrent, yet 45 centers were accredited that year.  The certification program also exper4ienced some changes.  The examination process for master instructors, which was a five-day written and hands-on review at a center, became more effective. By the end of the decade, 12 members had earned Master Instructor status.

With the growth of both the accreditation and certification programs, the board formed separate accreditation and certification committees and hired an individual to make accreditation visits to centers.  Yet, in 1989, it became clear that the existing on-site accreditation review process could not continue.  High costs and long waiting periods were unacceptable to members and board members.  Thus the Accreditation Committee, under the direction of Octavia (Chater) Brown, revised the process to allow centers to submit videotapes and photographs to the Accreditation Committee for review.  Another growth area in the 1980s was NARHA's educational programs, which got a huge boost with the three-year $233,600 grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation in 1982.  The funds were used for three main purposes: to train accreditors, expand the corps of certified instructors and to conduct a series of workshops for center administrators.

NARHA's annual meeting also began to add more educational opportunities.  In fact the 1980 Annual Meeting was the forerunner of the NARHA Annual Meeting and Conference that we know today.  A national seminar was added to the traditional meeting format and more than 115 members attended.  The event was a big success with evaluation forms proclaiming, "Do it again! "In 1984 the NARHA board decided NARHA's growth warranted a full-time, paid executive director.  Leonard Warner was doing a fine job, but the workload was becoming unmanageable.  At the 1985  annual meeting in New York City, the board hired an association management firm in Chicago which named Barbara Chalik as an almost full-time executive director.  Although Barb's knowledge of therapeutic riding and NARHA was limited, she was committed; she proved a valuable asset to NARHA and helped the Association through a critical growth period.

At the end of 1986 it was determined that a full-scaled effort was needed to set NARHA on a viable path for the future.  A committee identified several new programs, including an annual fund-raising mailing, a revised dues structure, a publication committee, and a public awareness and public outreach plan. One major goal, which was quickly realized, was to establish NARHA's own office.  Board Member Skip Haislip headed the search for an executive director.  Bill Scebbi was hired and began his position in November, 1987, establishing the NARHA office in Denver. Early in 1988 a second full-time employee was hired to coordinate several of NARHA's demanding programs.

With employees doing the work of NARHA full tie, committee members were able to give serious attention to fundraising.  In 1989 a grant application seeking funds for workshops, the Annual Meeting & Conference and other promotional and educational programs was written by John Semeraro, Jean Shemilt, Bliss Brown, Judy Lightfoot,Lida McCowan and Bill Scebbi.  The Committee members presented the grant to the W. K. Kellogg Foundation—which had already supported NARHA workshops—and held their breaths.

Their hard word was rewarded with the three-year grant for $1,262,725!  NARHA was set to move into the 1990s with gusto.

The 1990s
NARHA's growth and activities expanded dramatically in the early 1990s as a direct result of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant.  The Association spent the funds prudently and most programs were funded for five years.  The grant supported national workshops for instru7ctors and newcomers to the industry, regional program consultants who visited operating centers at no charge to the center , operating center and individual loans, Conference speakers and workshops, therapeutic riding curriculum development for universities and colleges, trace show exhibits for members to borrow and a second employee to manage programs associated with the grant.

With motivation and manpower provided by the grant, NARHA committees went to work on other programs.  The Standards and Accreditation committees composed a comprehensive Standards for Operating Centers document and the Medical Committee wrote Precautions  & Contraindications.

Both were considered essential in encouraging high standards in safety and quality of service for the industry and were published as part of the NARHA Guide.

The accreditation program living the videotape process was serving the membership well. It was generally felt that the quality of therapeutic riding was improving, largely due to almost 20 years of a diligent accreditation program.

The educational benefit of on-site reviews were not forgotten; at the request of the membership, the 1993 NARHA board of directors asked an On-site Accreditation Task Force chaired by Judy Lightfoot to formulate a new on-site process, which was presented at the 1994 Conference.

In 1992 the Instructor Certification Committee added a new level of certification: Certified Instructor.  Members applying for his category submitted a videotape of their skills and took a written exam in their region.  In 1994 the committee added yet another certification category—Registered Instructor—which was the minimum level of certification.  By 1995 NARHA began phasing in a new accreditation requirement: all instructors at NARHA must achieve one level of certification—Registered, Certified or Master—to pass accreditation.

With the growth in certification, accreditation and educational programs came growth in the NARHA staff.  In 1990 s third employee was added for administrative support and in 1991, the executive director hired one full-time communications coordinator and one part-time administrative assistant. NARHA now had five employees.  The NARHA board also authorized the executive director to hire a public relation firm in 1992.  NARHA began to receive more national publicity, with features in equine magazines, health care trade publications and cable and network news shows.  Increased awareness resulted in a significant jump in requests for information.

NARHA's individual memberships increased dramatically in the 1990s as well.  This was due largely to the increased publicity, increasing numbers of instructors going through the certification process and more individuals attending NARHA's educational events.  In 1993, Section memberships were introduced and the American Hippotherapy Association was established under NARHA.  Individual members of NARHA could become section members of AHA for an additional $20.  Individual memberships in 1994 were 2,449 and operating center memberships, increasing slightly, were 516.

Just as the 1990s ushered in new and exciting directions for NARHA, it signaled the beginning of the expansion of services and rights for individuals with disabilities.  With the passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act, the board gave serious attention to updating NARHA's logo and name.  The Public Relations Committee, under the direction of Paula Hagen-Peterson, did the research and presented several logo and name ideas to the board.  The new logo design was unanimously approved in 1992, but the board stalled on the name.

It was generally felt that the word "handicapped" was no longer appropriate, but the board was unwilling to give up NARHA's acronym and the name recognition the membership had worked so hard to achieve.  The board decided to ask the members to vote at the 1992 NARHA Annual Meeting and Conference on which name they preferred: North American Riding for the Handicapped Association or North American Riding for Health Association.  After discussion, the members voted 204 to 45 in favor of keeping the existing name.

Without the doubt, the accomplishments of NARHA in its first w25 years are due to dedicated people who share a dream—to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities, using the remarkable healing powers of the horse.   Therefore, with more individuals getting involved, it is easy to see that NARHA's future will be an exciting one.

Note: Much of the information for this article was provided by Bliss Brown of Augusta,MI, and from an invaluable resource: NARHA—Its First Decade, written by Elmer G. Butt, M.D. in 1981.