NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association), the accrediting body for therapeutic ridng in the United States, divides the approaches to therapeutic horseback riding into four divisions. These include: 1) therapy, 2) education, 3) sport, and 4) recreation and leasure. These divisions are explained below.


Therapy
The goal of riding as therapy is to achieve measureable behavioral, cognitive, physical, psychological and communication goals. This section includes Hippotherapy, which is provided by Physical, Occupational or Speech Therapists, Developmental Riding Therapy, a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment, and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, which is provided by licensed mental health professionals. Therapy can be provided in either group sessions or individually.


Education
The horse may serve as a motivator to achieve educational goals for people who have psychological, behavior and/or cognitive impairments. Often an educator serves as facilitor for these sessions. Again, these may be either group or individual sessions. Driving, and vaulting, as well as riding are often used for educational purposes. Riders may achieve such educational goals as letter recognition, patterning, and memorization.


Sport
The primary focus of the sport approach to therapeutic riding is to participate in competition. Riding skills, rather than educational skills are emphasized. Competition may be in riding, driving or vaulting. Riders gain physical skills such as balance and coordination as well as cognitive skills such as following directions and sequencing. The focus of the aquisition of these skills is their use in a competitive environment.


Recreation and Leisure
Riding is a leisure activity enjoyed by many people with disabilities. Adaptations such as special saddles and reins or specialized instruction are provided in the recreation section of therapeutic riding. Therapeutic riding instructors provide a relaxing, enjoyable setting which also allows the rider to develop socialization and improved quality of life.


Therapeutic Riding Overlaps All Four of these Sections.
It is impossible to be involved in any one of these areas without gaining the benefits from the others. While receiving psychological therapy, for example, the rider is also gaining balance and coordination, learning sequencing and patterning, and developing social skills. The rider who rides for competition also increases mobility, improves his or her quality of life, and develops self-control. This is the miracle of therapeutic riding.