Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) Announces New Strategic Updates and Leadership Changes

Chagrin Falls, OH – April 21, 2020 – Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF), a 501(c)3 organization who funds research on the horse-human interactions, has announced that given the current COVID-19 impact on equine facilities and research activities, as well as the current state of the global economy, it will defer all 2020 grant awards until 2021 and pause their annual Request for Proposals that would normally be issued around this time each year. 

            In lieu of reviewing grant submissions this spring that highlight evidence-based studies of the horse-human relationship and its impact on health and wellness as has been customary practice for over 15 years, HHRF is investing time in evaluating strategies to advance its mission forward in new and innovative ways.

            With a specific focus on trauma care for the grant years of 2020-2021, one significant addition to the organization is a newly formed Education and Communications Committee.  Comprised of an elite team of volunteers ranging from medical clinicians, academic faculty, public health and social service professionals, this Committee joins forces with some of the nation’s most respected thought leaders within the equine assisted learning and equine assisted therapy field.  This new committee will provide strategic planning support and policy oversight to ensure focus and direction of educational programs and dissemination of “science into the stable” so those facilitating this great work have the benefit of the research that has been and is being completed all the time.

            HHRF is also taking this opportunity to create new strategic partnerships to leverage synergies, expand its global impact by building relationships outside the United States, and widen its donor base by offering value to an increased number of stakeholders in the future.  Much of this value will come in the form of education and integration of knowledge by bridging the gap between the collected data on outcomes reported from intervention studies and then translating and sharing with the practitioners working with the many populations who benefit from equine-assisted activities and therapies. 

The organization is also announcing the departure of Ken Boyden as their Executive Director.  “We are appreciative of Ken’s contribution to the organization for the past four years and his leadership has positioned us for our next phase of growth,” states Board President, Evelyn McKelvie.  The Board is developing a Task Force to begin the process of selecting a new Executive Director.

For Immediate Release

Contact: Ken Boyden, JD, EdD, Executive Director, Horses and Humans Research Foundation

PO Box 23367

Chagrin Falls, OH 44022

Email: info@horsesandhumans.org

Web: http://www.horsesandhumans.org

Chagrin Falls, Ohio, June 4, 2018 – Research conducted at Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada was recently published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science.  The study ‘Behavioural and physiological responses of therapy horses to mentally traumatized humans’ examined the effects of equine assisted therapy (EAT) on the horse.  The principal investigator was Katrina Merkies, PhD and the project was funded by the Horses and Humans Research Foundation.  

(Click here to read about the original research from 2015 and other HHRF-funded research)

Subjects clinically diagnosed and under care of a psychotherapist for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) were matched physically to four neurotypical control subjects and individually participated in sessions with each of 17 therapy horses loose in a round pen. A professional acting coach instructed the control humans in replicating the physical movements of their paired PTSD individual. Both horses and humans were equipped with a heart rate (HR) monitor recording HR every 5 seconds. Saliva samples were collected from each horse 30 min before and 30 min after each trial to analyze cortisol concentrations.

Each trial consisted of 5 minutes of baseline observation of the horse alone in the round pen after which the human entered the round pen for 2 minutes, followed by an additional 5 minutes of the horse alone. Behavioural observations indicative of stress in the horse (gait, head height, ear orientation, body orientation, distance from the human, latency of approach to the human, vocalizations, and chewing) were retrospectively collected from video recordings of each trial.

Results indicate that horses respond more to physical cues from the human than emotional cues. This knowledge is important in tailoring therapy programs and justifying horse responses when interacting with a patient in a therapy setting.

The project also indicated: 1) Therapy horses do not differentiate between humans with PTSD and those without.  2) Therapy horses display more stress behaviours when they are alone in a round pen. 3) Therapy horses are more attentive to humans who are experienced around horses. 4)  Therapy horses are calmer with humans who are inexperienced around horses.

Dr. Merkies commented that "There is a critical need to understand the mechanisms behind horse-human interactions in order to understand the motivations of the horse - are they engaged in a mutually beneficial or altruistic interaction, or simply responding to human physical characteristics.  This is important in light of best practices attuned to equine welfare - we need to ensure that we are employing horses responsibly, not only reducing or eliminating poor welfare but also providing opportunity for positive welfare."

Mission: Through investment in rigorous research, Horses and Humans Research Foundation will serve as a catalyst to advance knowledge of horses and their potential to impact the health and wellness of people.

Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) is dedicated to funding research to investigate the equine-assisted activities and therapies field. Since its founding, HHRF has awarded over $460,000 in professional research efforts led by eleven research teams in the United States, Canada and Germany. HHRF is a non-endowed foundation dependent solely on donations. To make a donation and/or learn more about this and other Horses and Humans Research Foundation projects visit http://www.HorsesandHumans.org. 

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Chagrin Falls, Ohio, April 14, 2018.  Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) welcomes three new members to their board of directors.  Evelyn McKelvie, C.E.C., Leif Hallberg, MA, LPC, LCPC and Nancy Waite-O’Brien, PhD recently joined the board bringing a variety of skills and expertise to support this equine assisted activity and therapy (EAA/T) research focused mission. 

Leif Hallberg is an internationally recognized author, consultant, licensed mental health professional, educator, and avid lover of nature and animals. Leif’s professional career and life’s work have centered on researching the human-equine bond, and studying the industry of equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAA/T). 

Evelyn McKelvie is a certified Executive Coach, speaker, and author who specializes in working with teams and individuals who want to create better ways of relating in the workplace and overcoming barriers to performance effectiveness.   Before devoting herself full time to her current role as Founder of Equine Coach, Evelyn worked for many years in business leadership positions, most recently as a senior manager for IT at the University of British Columbia. 

Dr. Nancy Waite-O’Brien is a psychologist, educator and author with over 30 years of experience in addiction treatment both in the United States and in the Caribbean. In 2004, she was named one of the sixty most influential women in the field of addiction treatment by Counselor Magazine.  She has a private practice in Rancho Mirage, California; provides Equine Assisted Therapy to clients of drug and alcohol treatment programs in Palm Springs, California; and is a consulting psychologist for the ABC Recovery Center. 

These new members will join in procuring future sustainability and direction for HHRF.  Leif Hallberg expressed the board’s commitment when she said “Including horses in human healthcare is emerging as an increasingly popular therapeutic approach. And although most who experience equine-assisted activities or therapies can attest to the healing qualities found in coming to the farm, spending time in nature, and being around animals, there is much we don’t know about what happens when horses and humans come together for human wellbeing. I believe the work of HHRF is critical to the advancement of this knowledge, and I am proud to do whatever I can to help in this endeavor.”    

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

Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) is dedicated to funding research to investigate the equine-assisted activities and therapies field. Since its founding, HHRF has awarded over $450,000 in professional research efforts led by eleven research teams in the United States, Canada and Germany. HHRF is a non-endowed foundation dependent solely on donations. To make a donation and/or learn more about this and other Horses and Humans Research Foundation projects visit http://www.horsesandhumans.org

Accepting Applications until June 30, 2018 for Grants up to $50,000

Chagrin Falls, OH - April 2, 2018 - Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) announces an open call for proposals to investigate the therapeutic effects of horses on humans. The Foundation's broad research agenda includes basic research as well as clinical studies that will ultimately impact physical and mental health and quality of life for those engaged in equine-assisted activities/therapies (EAA/T). Deadline for submission proposals is June 30, 2018.

Up to fifty thousand dollars in research funding will be offered through a rigorous application and review process. Grants are selected on a competitive basis, taking into account scientific merit, scientific and clinical significance and relevance. Preference will be given to investigators with solid credentials and research experience. All applications undergo a four-tier review process completed by the scientific review committee. The average grant award is $50,000 for up to a 1.5 year period. 

On behalf of the HHRF Board, our past board members, and our scientific advisory council, we are very pleased to seek high quality research grant applications through this open call which reflects the highest priority needs and gaps in knowledge of the equine-assisted therapy and activities community. It is through such pursuit of peer-reviewed research that we all benefit from knowledge, creation, application and dissemination. HHRF continues to strive to support true leaps in research, as has been famously observed: "Incrementalism is innovation's worst enemy."

Information for applicants, including application materials, previously funded projects, review guidelines and more are available at horsesandhumans.org. 

Make a contribution to HHRF today and help ensure that this important research continues. For more information on this research, on the foundation, or on becoming a donor, contact Ken Boyden, JD, EdD, Executive Director, ken.boyden@horsesandhumans.org.

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

Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) is dedicated to funding research to investigate the equine-assisted activities and therapies field. Since its founding, HHRF has awarded over $460,000 in professional research efforts led by twelve research teams in the United States, Canada and Germany. HHRF is a non-endowed foundation dependent solely on donations. To make a donation and/or learn more about this and other Horses and Humans Research Foundation projects visit http://www.horsesandhumans.org

Photo courtesy MU CVM and ReCHAI

A quantitative paper with findings from a research study funded by the Horses and Humans Research Foundation was recently published in the Military Medical Research Journal.  “Effects of therapeutic horseback riding on military veteran’s posttraumatic stress disorder”  is another important step toward validating equine-assisted activities's positive impact for participants in hundreds of centers across the country.

Dr. Rebecca Johnson, principal investigator, used randomized wait-list control with repeated measures of U.S. military veterans to test the efficacy of a 6-week therapeutic horseback riding (THR) program for decreasing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.  PTSD symptoms were measured using the standardized PTSD Checklist-Military Version and three other standardized tests were also used to access different aspects of individual well-being and the PTSD symptoms.

Results showed that participants had a statistically significant decrease in PTSD scores after 3 weeks of THR as well as a statistically and clinically significant decrease after 6 weeks of THR. Logistic regression showed that participants had a 66.7% likelihood of having lower PTSD scores at 3 weeks and 87.5% likelihood at 6 weeks.

It is no surprise to professional therapeutic riding instructors and center participants that the findings clearly suggest that THR may be a clinically effective intervention for alleviating PTSD symptoms in military veterans.  This is particularly important as we urgently seek alternative methods to support our veterans in need.

Read the paper. 

Temple Grandin Equine Center’s director joins Horses and Humans Research Foundation’s scientific advisory council.

Wendy Wood, Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA has become the newest member of the Horses and Humans Research Foundation’s scientific advisory council.    Wood is a Professor of Occupational Therapy and the Director of Research of the Temple Grandin Equine Center (TGEC) at Colorado State University.   The TGEC is dedicated to advancing the science of equine-assisted activities and therapies (EAA/T) and evidence-based education in EAA/T.   Dr. Wood is currently leading a team of graduate students in conducting a systematic mapping review study of all refereed papers on EAAT published over the past 35 years. Findings from this study will help to guide the research and education agendas of the entire field of equine- assisted activities.

Dr. Wood is also a research mentor to undergraduate, master’s level, and Ph.D. students interested in equine-assisted interventions for children and adolescents with autism and cerebral palsy, at-risk youth, and older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She is an internationally recognized scholar and leader in occupational therapy, and was recognized as one of 100 influential people in the profession's first 100 years in 2017, the Centennial Anniversary of the American Occupational Therapy Association. Her work at the TGEC has brought together Dr. Wood’s love of horses with her dedication to developing evidence-based interventions that improve the everyday functioning and well-being of people with disabilities and other life challenges.

The Horses and Humans Research Foundation (HHRF) funds rigorous, scientific research that advances global knowledge of horse-human interactions and their impact on health and wellness.  According to HHRF executive director Ken Boyden, JD, EdD the board is in the midst of planning focused direction for the research they will support in the coming decade.  Dr Wood’s work and knowledge will be vital in guiding this visioning and planning process.

Dr Wood commented that "I embrace the mission of HHRF not only because it thoroughly fascinates me; but also because it is dedicated to advancing a science of the mutual flourishing of people and horses alike."