Welcome to the Czech Therapeutic Riding Association website
The Czech Therapeutic Riding Association (CHS) was founded in 1991 as a voluntary, non-government and non-for-profit organization with the vision to promote equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT) and integration of individuals with disabilities or special needs.
EAAT means rehabilitation with the help of horses, including psychotherapeutic approach and equitation. CHS associates physical, occupational and speech therapists, physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, special educators and riding instructors. Membership is open to everybody who works with horses in the health and social care fields, education and paraequestrian. EAAT users and their family members are most welcome as well.
The missions are:
- to promote and maintain professional performance of EAAT;
- to train professionals;
- to issue technical literature;
- to serve as an information database and network;
- to assist with the establishment of EAAT centres and support experience exchange among existing centres.
CHS establishes and maintains contacts with relevant professional organizations in the Czech Republic and in abroad. CHS is an associate FRDI member.
The association organizes and participates in educational and paraequestrian activities 
in efforts to fulfil its missions. Since 2009, the association has been going thru major restructuralization with the aim to become an accredited training centre to produce experts in hippotherapy, equine facilitated learning and psychotherapy, and paraequestrian.
The association issues electronic journal with the content of 20 pages for 4 times a year and board of directors issue monthly electronic newsletter. In 2009, the board created a new website, which contains also registered EAAT centres, and registered qualified specialists working in all EAAT fields. The website has been continuously updated.
CHS seeks recogniti
on of EAAT at the highest professional level and helps to organize research. In addition to fulfil the requirements imposed by legislature, the implementation of “the Rules for the protection of horses at public display during EAAT” care for animals involved in the therapies and activities under various conditions (e.g. private persons, civic associations, institutional facilities). The aim is to standardize involved accessories and unification of the horse training and conditioning procedures.
A new Centres accreditation system is in preparation for 2010/2011. Completion of this procedure will require passing the CHS license for therapy horses. This evaluation will asses movement mechanics, temperament and character of the horse (reliability factors for requested performances) that are the most needed features in decision making about involving a horse into an EAAT program. The result will be a certificate of the horse suitability for EAAT.
CHS has established a glossary of terms to avoid communication misunderstandings among experts and the general public. This might help EAAT promotion while dealing with authorities, educational institutions, media, health insurance companies, physicians and other professionals.
Glossary of terms
Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAAT) is an umbrella term which contains all activities and therapies with the help of horses. EAAT is divided into four disciplines:
Hippotherapy – a physi
otherapy method utilizing the natural movement of horses in the walk as stimuli and rehabilitation component. Horse’s walk is reflected in the three-dimensional horseback movement, which becomes an unique therapy balance area. The aim is to engage the client into the proper movement pattern on the walking horse, reaching movement interplay between the client and the horseback and thus gentle coordination of changes flowing from this intervention. This results into activation of either retarded or disabled motor programs, which are caused by a CNS disorder, illness or injury. This movement patterns programming has a significant positive impact on the motor function of the client if conducted by trained physical or occupational therapists.
Equine Facilitated Learning - special/social educational and care m
ethods utilizing the environment of stables, contact and interaction with horses to promote motivation, mobilization and training of people with specific needs. This discipline is performed by experts with practical training in the field of special educator, social worker, speech therapists etc.
Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy - a psychotherapy method utilizing a wide range of environment possibilities around the horse (stables, contact with horses, interaction with other clients, workers, horses, etc.). Therapy with the help of horses performed by trained staff - a psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.
Paraequestrian - equitation for riders with specified needs. Riders may use special equipment or adapted driving techniques with regard to their disabilities to perform paradressage, paravaulting, parawestern riding, para show-jumping or carriage driving. They can participate in competitions from basic level to national or international championships. In the Czech Republic, there are most developed and spread paravaulting, paradressage and recently parawestern riding.
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