A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EFFECTS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY ...

handicapped in North America, which was completed in 1967 (Butt). Also notable for her early
work with amputees returning from Viet Nam was Mary Woolverton, a social worker and visionary
who not only offered returning veterans disabled in war new opportunities for freedom of
movement astride a horse, but pioneered carriage driving for people with disabilities (Bieber,
1985).
1.1.1.1 NARHA
In 1969 the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) was
formed in Middleburg, Virginia, to promote equine-assisted activities for individuals with
disabilities (Butt, 1981/1998; Bieber, 1998). Reflecting a more modern “people-first philosophy”,
and to encompass the wide variety of equine-assisted activities engaged in by its many members,
in November, 2008, NARHA dispensed with the acronym and officially adopted NARHA as the
name of the organization. NARHA’s mission is to “…promote safe, professional, ethical and
therapeutic equine activities for people with and without disabilities, through education,
communication, standards and research” (NARHA, n.d.). NARHA continues as the governing
body for professionals in the field of therapeutic horsemanship activities, offering certification for
individuals and facilities and publishing the journal Strides to disseminate information pertinent to
the practice of therapies involving horses.
1.1.2 Animal-Assisted Therapy
Throughout most of human history, animals have served humankind in numerous ways.
Some, like the horse, increased human mobility and military powers and some, dogs and cats for
example, gained the advantage of being served by, rather than serving, men (Levinson, 1962).
While comparatively little quantitative research has been published in peer-reviewed journals
documenting the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions utilizing horses and other equines,
there is a wealth of information available concerning the healing effects of therapy involving
companion animals, particularly noteworthy being the work of Levinson in the 1960’s and the
Corsons in the 1970’s (1979; see also Taylor, 2001).
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