Connection Courses (LIVE Webinars) 

AHA, INC. Horse Connection Course: Maximizing Your Horse’s Potential

September 5, 2025 -- 9 AM Eastern to 2 PM Eastern 
Faculty: Lisa Harris, MSVS, PT, HPCS

Cost: $ 175 for AHA Members and $250 for Non Members 

Register Coming Soon 

Intended Audience:

Horse Handlers for therapists utilizing equine movement with their patients, PATH or CHA instructors, Equine Specialists, Horse Trainers, Volunteers, Therapists. 

Course Description:

This course is designed for the horse handler involved in therapy sessions that implement hippotherapy as a treatment tool as well as the equine specialist or owner interested in developing a connection with their horse through leading, longeing and long lining. The course is also open to therapists interested in learning more about assessing horses as potential therapy candidates, including recognizing desirable qualities of conformation and movement, and also recognizing quality handling.

Course Prerequisite: 

There is no course prerequisite.

Learning Outcomes: 

• Describe 3 principles of training and maintaining a therapy horse.
• Describe 3 purposes of handling methods for the therapy horse.
• Explain 3 safety aspects of training and handling a therapy horse.
• Explain all equipment necessary for training a therapy horse.
• Describe the therapeutic value of appropriate preparation for a
therapy horse prior to a treatment session.
• Describe process of transfers and emergency procedures using
longlines

Sample Course Schedule: 

8:00-8:30 Introduction/Review Objectives
8:30-9:00 Conformation
9:00-9:45 Movement
9:45-10:05 Leading
10:05-10:20 Longeing
10:20-10:30 Break
10:30-10:45 Longlining safety, equipment, handler position
10:45-11:05 Transfer protocol and emergency procedures
11:05-11:45 Management of Therapy horses
11:45-12:00 Questions

Course CEs:



AHA, Inc. is an AOTA Approved Provider of continuing education. Provider #: 11414. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA. Course Level: Introductory.

 
This program is offered for .35 ASHA CEUs, Introductory level; Professional area. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided. 

AHA, Inc. recognizes that each state has separate PT requirements for CE approval. AHA, Inc. will work with each PT professional to determine if CEUs will be available, or can be obtained. If you have any questions regarding this, please ask when registering for a course.

* Certificates of attendance will be provided to attendees at the conclusion of the course.  No certification will be granted upon completion of an AHA, Inc. course.

 

Core Connection 

Faculty: Joann Benjamin, PT, HPCS and Ruth Dismuke-Blakely, MS, CCC-SLP, HPCS
Cost: $325 for members/$375 for non-members 


Intended Audience:

This course is designed as an intermediate course for therapists (PT, PTA, OT, COTA, SLP, and SLPA). 

Course Description:

This two day webinar explores the role of core control/postural stability in human function as well as in equine function and how medical quality equine movement can be used to facilitate this important component of human physiology.

Course Prerequisite: 

AHA, Inc. Hippotherapy Treatment Principles – Part 1. Please upload a copy of your Part I certificate with registration.

Learning Outcomes: 

  • Identify 3 active and/or passive components of the human and the equine core
  • Describe 3 functions of the human and equine core
  • Identify 2 similarities and 2 differences of the core in the horse and human
  • Identify 2 methods to address core control in the horse and in the human
  • Identify 2 functional challenges for the patient with impaired postural control/core instability. 
  • Identify at least 2 ways in which medical quality equine movement can impact postural control
  • List 3 ways in which postural control impacts function

 
Course Schedule: 

Day 1 
9:00 – 10:45 AM Introduction to the CORE – Human and Equine
Introductions/Learning Outcomes
Neurophysiological Basis of Core Control in Humans
Comparison of Core Control in the Human and the Horse
10:45 – 11:30 Basic Developmental Process of Postural Control in Humans
11:30-11:40 Break
11:40 – 12:30 Postural Control Related to Function-Mobility, Fine Motor, Communication
12:30-12:40 Break
12:40 – 1:00 Introduction of Equine Movement Impact on Postural Control
1:00 - 1:30 Q/A Session

Day 2 
9:00 – 9:10 Questions/Review
9:10 – 10:15 Components of Medical Quality Equine Movement
Transmission of Movement to Human
Equine Core Control and Impact on Performance
Importance of Training and Performance Based Horse Handling
10:15-11:15 Compromises to Core Postural Control and Impact on Function
11:15-11:25 Break
11:25- 12:00 Activities and Strategies for Modifying Equine Movement and Its Impact
12:00 – 1:00 Treatment Scenarios using Equine Movement Impact on Patients with Compromised Core Postural Control
1:00 – 1:30 Q/A Session

Course CEs:



AHA, Inc. is an AOTA Approved Provider of continuing education. Provider #: 11414. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA. Course Level: Intermediate

 
This program is offered for .85 ASHA CEUs, Intermediate level; Professional area. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided. 

AHA, Inc. recognizes that each state has separate PT requirements for CE approval. AHA, Inc. will work with each PT professional to determine if CEUs will be available, or can be obtained. If you have any questions regarding this, please ask when registering for a course.

* Certificates of attendance will be provided to attendees at the conclusion of the course.  No certification will be granted upon completion of an AHA, Inc. course.



Treatment Connection Course #1: Clinical Reasoning when incorporating Hippotherapy

May 31, 2025 at 7 AM MDT 
Faculty: Carol Huegel PT. HPCS and Kelly Coney-Pacious PT, DPT, HPCS
Cost: $225 for Members and $275 for Non Members 

Register Here


Intended Audience:

This course is designed for OT, PT, SLP professionals who are either new to the integration of equine movement in their practice, or those more experienced who want real life patient scenarios to promote problem solving and stimulating discussion in a group setting.  It may also be used to help determine readiness to sit for an AHCB Credentialing Exam. 

Course Description:

This is # 1 of what is anticipated to be multiple presentations by various faculty members, presenting patients of diverse ages and diagnoses, horses of differing conformation and movement, and varying areas of overview/review.

Course #1 patient focus is a young child with hemiparesis. This course will include power point slides, videos to assess equine conformation and movement, videos of patient performing functional activities and during treatment session. There will be a break-out session for small group discussion.

Course Prerequisite: 

AHA, Inc. Hippotherapy Treatment Principles – Part 1. 

Learning Outcomes: 

  • Describe the anticipated effect of skilled equine movement on a client as related to their systems impairment, participation restriction and functional outcomes through participation in a treatment planning practicum.

  • Demonstrate ability to develop a treatment plan including selection of equine, appropriate equipment for both equine and client, transfer on/off, equine handling, and treatment progression.

  • Describe at least three aspects of how a treatment plan could be revised based on observation of patient responses during and following a treatment incorporating equine movement.

  • Describe appropriate tests/measures to evaluate client’s progress within the treatment environment.

Course Schedule: 

 

7:00 am  - Welcome and Introductions
                  Housekeeping
                  Review Course Objectives
                  Review Description of Hippotherapy
                  Key Treatment Principles regarding Hippotherapy

7:30 am  - Transmission of Equine Movement to Human Systems Transfers
                 Treatment Progression Using Equine Movement
                 Position Options
                 Equipment Ideas

8:30 am - BREAK

8:40 am - Introduction to Client
                Written description with medical history
                Videos of functional abilities related to PT/OT/SLP

9:10 am - Introduction to Equines
                  Review Conformation, Movement, Sensory Input for each

10:10 am - BREAK

10:20 am - Review Treatment Planning Form

10:30 am - Break out Groups

11:10 am - Discuss Components of Treatment Planning
                  Contrast/Compare with Videos of Treatment

12:30 pm - Q/A

1:00 pm - End
                Complete Course Evaluation

Course CEs:



AHA, Inc. is an AOTA Approved Provider of continuing education. Provider #: 11414. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA. Course Level: Intermediate

 
This program is offered for .55 ASHA CEUs, Intermediate level; Professional area. A Certificate of Attendance will be provided.  

AHA, Inc. recognizes that each state has separate PT requirements for CE approval. AHA, Inc. will work with each PT professional to determine if CEUs will be available, or can be obtained. If you have any questions regarding this, please ask when registering for a course.

* Certificates of attendance will be provided to attendees at the conclusion of the course.  No certification will be granted upon completion of an AHA, Inc. course.