MODERN THERAPEUTIC RIDING

Organized therapeutic riding began in the early 1950s in Scandinavia, after Lis Hartel of Denmark, severely disabled by polio, won a silver medal in dressage at the 1952 Olympic Games. This impressed medical and equine professionals alike, and quickly led to the establishment of centers for therapeutic riding across Europe. The idea soon spread to the United States and Canada, and in 1969, the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) was founded. Today, NARHA oversees a growing number of therapeutic riding programs. It provides training, guidelines, and certification programs for those who work in the field