HHRF 2022 Conference in Chagrin Falls, OH Saturday, August 13th and Sunday, August 14th

Horses and Humans Research Foundation’s 2022 Conference

Let’s connect, learn and inspire each other about horses and humans research.

If you are interested and want to know more about the latest research in Equine-Assisted Services (EAS), this conference is for YOU!

When:
Saturday, August 13, 2022, 8:30 am - 3:30 pm and Sunday, August 14, 2022, 8:30 am - 11:30 am

Where:
Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center
16497 Snyder Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
(440) 708-0013
https://www.fieldstonefarm.org/

Rates for the two day event:

$100 Adult and $75 student (includes lunch on Saturday, August 13, 2022)

Local Hotel Accommodations:

Cleveland Marriott East
26300 Harvard Road
Warrensville Heights, OH 44122

Book your group rate for Horses and Humans Research Foundation Room Block Aug2022

Airport Information from the hotel:

• Cleveland Airport- CLE (21 miles) from Cleveland Marriott East

Some of the exciting topics that will be covered during this two -day event will include:

Aviva Vincent, PhD, LSW, CTRI

Reining in Anxiety: a CBT-based Equine-Assisted Adaptive Riding Program

Reining in Anxiety (RiA) is a therapeutic program for youth with mild to moderate anxiety delivered in a therapeutic riding setting by Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructors. RiA appears to reduce anxiety and stress among youth, as measured both by self-report and by physiological (i.e. salivary assay) measures.

Aviva Vincent, PhD, LSW, CTRI
Kathleen Farkas, PhD, LISW-S

Mind Full or Mindful? A Cohort of Women Veterans in Equine-Facilitated Therapy

An evaluation study sought to understand the assets and challenges of female Veterans partnering with equines. The data demonstrated an increased self-perceived mindfulness which was supported by a statistically significant increase in mindfulness scores post-equine intervention.

Dr. William J. Montelpare, Ph.D.
Dr. Laurie McDuffee, DVM, PhD.

Does Heart Rate Variability Contribute to Our Understanding of Stress? Interpreting the Horse and Human Response to Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy

In this presentation, we will discuss the complexity of evaluating stress from both an objective and subjective perspective. In so doing we will review our findings of the efficacy of tools that can be used to determine stress responses, and report on the value of the various metrics used to demonstrate both individual and synchronized responses of horses and humans to stress.

Elisabeth Farrell is a student in the PhD program in Education at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). She holds an MPA and an MFA. She is a Project Director at the UNH Sustainability Institute.

Horses and Humans in Equine-Assisted Learning and Human-Animal Studies: Literature Review Findings and Recommendations

For the past several decades, Human-Animal Studies (HAS), a field of study in the social sciences and humanities, has generated scholarship examining relationships between humans and animals. Participants will learn about key areas from which equine-assisted learning research and practice could benefit from a more robust dialogue with HAS's scholarly and theoretical trends.

Betsy Kemeny, PhD, CTRS, FDRT
Megan Coil, CTRS

Comparative effectiveness of equine-assisted, canine-assisted and social interventions for older adults with dementia

This session will focus on a research study that compared 30-minute equine-assisted, canine-assisted and social interventions with the same group of adults with dementia living in long-term care using in-time observation of social engagement behaviors over 5 sessions.

Kimberly I. Tumlin, PhD, MS, MPH

Linking practices and horse traits in secular and non-secular equine assisted programs

In horse-human research, we need to understand how organizations approach horse selection. Come join our talk about how horses and practices differ among organizations having faith values. These differences may change how we research and measure program effectiveness.

Nicole Lorig, M.S., Doctoral Candidate at The Ohio State University in the Department of Animal Sciences
Dr. Kim Cole, Ph.D., Professor at the Ohio State University in the Department of Animal Sciences, and Ohio Equine Extension Specialist

The Importance of a Biobehavioral Approach to Assessing Equine Well-being During Equine Assisted Services

While participation in EAS has shown to provide a variety of benefits to human well-being, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the impact of EAS on the equine participant involved. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the variety of measures available to assess equine well-being during EAS, the advantages and limitations of each measure, and the importance of a comprehensive, biobehavioral approach when assessing well-being.

William (Bill) Marchand, MD, LFAPA

An equine-assisted services intervention for Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

Dr. Marchand will present findings from a pilot study of an equine-assisted services intervention for US military Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Ellen M. Rankins, Ph.D. Candidate, PATH Intl. CTRI & Advanced Level Riding Instructor

Considerations for Assessing Equine Well-Being and Stress

Learn new methods and review factors to consider when developing and implementing welfare assessments for horses in your program or for research.

Beth Lanning, PhD, MCHES

Investigating Equine Movement as a Mechanism of Change for Children with Autism

The objective of this study is to investigate and quantify effects of mechanized equine movement for children with ASD. Specifically, we aim to determine the extent to which equine movement affects a broad range of ASD symptoms including core behavior and cognition, balance and motor coordination, speech and language, and brain activity.

Lorrie Renker, MTRI

Equestrianism Choices through History and the Relationship to Equine Welfare and Well-being.

This presentation will look through the lens of cameras that show photographs of horses primarily from the 20th century. The focus will be on equestrianism examples illustrated by the photographs and will include equipment choices, rider position, and equine behavior indicators.

Discussion will include historical influences of the time and how they impact and relate to the current equine welfare and well-being discussions.

Dr. Mark Crisman, DVM, MS, DipACVIM

The Importance of Regular Dental care in Overall Equine Welfare

Recent research has established a link between dental pain and many common equine behavior problems. Dr. Crisman will highlight these findings and discuss why annual dental exams with your veterinarian are an imperative part of ensuring the welfare of the horses in equine-assisted services programs.

More about a few of our motivating speakers:

Beth Lanning, PhD, MCHES from Baylor University will be presenting Balance, Brain, Speech, Kinematic, and Behavioral Effects of a Mechanical Horse-Riding Simulator for Children with Autism. This research examines the benefits of equine assisted services for children with Autism. On top of the effects of therapeutic riding, physical therapy, and speech therapy with horses, the addition of a horse simulated motion is also discussed. Dr. Lanning specializes in the study of child and adolescent health issues, specifically child sexual abuse, body image, intimate partner violence, and quality of life issues in vulnerable populations. She also studies the human-animal interaction and the use of animals, especially horses, as therapy partners in programs with at-risk youth, children with Autism, and military service members, which has been supported through the Horses and Humans Research Foundation, Texas Resources for Iraq-Afghanistan Deployment Fund, and internal grants.

Aviva Vincent, PhD, LMSW from Fieldstone Farm Therapeutic Riding Center, Healing Paws LLC, and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Kathleen Farkas from Case Western Reserve University will be presenting their research study exploring the assets and challenges of partnering with equines for female veterans seeking to increase aspects of mindfulness in daily use. Their presentation, Mind Full or Mindful? A Cohort of Women Veterans in Equine-Facilitated Therapy, will help participants understand the Veteran’s voice and perspectives on their lived-experience participating in an equine program.

Kimberly Tumlin, PhD, MS, MPH from the University of Kentucky will be presenting Linking Practices and Horse Traits in Secular and Non-Secular Equine Assisted Programs, discussing the research and providing participants with the opportunity to engage in thoughtful conversation about these topics and the interplay of practice and research. Dr. Tumlin’s research focuses on traumatic injury epidemiology and occupational health.

Betsy Kemeny, PhD, CTRS, CPG, FDRT from SRU will be presenting Comparative effectiveness of Recreational Therapy using equine, canine, and no-animal interventions. This presentation will help participants identify the difference in response to RT interventions with horses, canines, and no animal. Dr. Kemeny’s research focuses on recreational therapy for individuals with developmental disabilities, with a special emphasis on autism spectrum disorder.

About Fieldstone Farm:

Our 40 therapy horses have helped thousands of people of all ages and with a variety of challenges grow and accomplish things they never thought possible. Fieldstone Farm is one of the largest therapeutic equine centers in the country serving approximately 1,000 students each year.

Our Mission: Fieldstone Farm engages the therapeutic power of our horses to discover and nurture the special abilities of individuals, families and communities. Fieldstone Farm is a welcoming community with a tradition of inclusivity to those of all ages, races, genders, economic backgrounds and abilities.

About the area:

Chagrin Falls is a village filled with locally-owned independent shops and award winning restaurants. This vibrant downtown has something for everyone from high end boutiques to an old fashioned bookshop. All the businesses are located in a compact walkable area dotted with public parks. The Chagrin River flow through the middle of town, with Main Street bridge overlooking a natural waterfall.Join locals as they visit the Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop before visiting the waterfall.

For a full listing of Chagrin Falls shops and restaurants and local businesses click below.Please note reservations for some of the restaurants are strongly recommended

https://yourhometownchagrinfalls.com/

Or click below to see the many attractions downtown Cleveland has to offer- we guraantee there is something for everyone.

https://www.thisiscleveland.com/things-to-do/major-attractions

HHRF’s Mission – Through sustained investment in rigorous research, HHRF serves as a catalyst to advance global knowledge of horse-human interactions and their impact on the health and wellness of people and horses.