Hi everyone!
I recently started volunteering at a local therapeutic riding center and I absolutely LOVE it! I am currently in school as a Psychology major and I am interested in getting my masters in occupational therapy, where I want to incorporate horses into my work. I really do think therapeutic riding (regardless if I pursue my masters in OT or not) is really what I want to do with the rest of my life.
Anyways, I was curious if any of you have been through the process of becoming a PATH international registered instructor? If so, I would love to hear about your experience and journey. How long did it take? Costs? Any other thoughts?
Thanks everyone! 
It is amazing what the horse can do for children and adults with disabilities whether from a psychosocial and integration into a sport related activity (therapeutic/adaptive riding) or the effect of equine movement on neuromuscular/neurological function and overall improvements in daily living (hippotherapy).
I received my PATH instructor certification nearly 10 years ago, so the process might be a little different. I found it fairly simple to get the hours needed and I found the registered instructor testing fairly straight forward.
I decided that I really wanted to do therapy rather than adaptive/therapeutic riding so after I graduated college I decided to get my doctorate in occupational therapy (though really only a Master’s is required but I did a hippotherapy research study and also some work with the American Hippotherapy Association and the Horse and Human Research Foundation). I know this is a bit different than what you were asking for but it does address your possible long term goal of becoming an OT. Feel free to PM me and we can talk more. I feel this was the best decision as I am able to practice in a variety of setting with children including using the horse’s movement (hippotherapy) as part of my treatment strategy.
Hi Greenie,
I think it’s great that you are considering this career choice. I am a PATH Intl. certified instructor and I am also a licensed riding instructor in the state where I live. It is something I do because my heart is truly in it, and I have been fortunate enough to have witnessed some life changing moments for kids and adults through horse based healing and therapeutic riding. I had volunteered in TR for almost 12 years when I decided to become a certified instructor.
I took that step after the death of my sister. She wasn’t a horse person at all, but she came to stay with me on my farm when she discovered that her husband had built a secret dual life that basically destroyed hers. It was a terrible time for her, but she told me that she found the only moments of peace she had felt in years helping me groom my horses and care for them. Sadly, she didn’t survive her ordeal, but it always gave me comfort knowing that my horses gave her something good during a terrible time in her life. That experience gave me the incentive to try and help other people heal through horses beyond just volunteering.
One of the things I noticed through 12 years of volunteering followed by years of teaching is that some apprentice programs don’t stress enough the importance of having a solid background in horsemanship. It is vital to have an experienced eye when it comes to equine body language and behavior in order to keep your rider and volunteers safe. So check out the apprentice programs and make sure you choose one that really does give you the tools you need to become a safe, effective instructor.
I have also heard of some programs that allow an apprentice to teach without direct supervision of a PATH certified instructor. That, imho, can put a rider in danger if the apprentice doesn’t have a background in horses or special needs, so ask about this before you find yourself in a situation that is frustrating at best and incredibly dangerous at worst. I was fortunate to have two really wonderful instructors who mentored me, but I also had 35 years of horse experience and 12 years of TR and Hippotherapy volunteering behind me.
The cost was around $1,000 all in, I think, when I did my apprentice hours, online exams, purchased the books, attended the workshop and certification. I don’t teach full time because I have two other jobs, and honestly, I think it keeps my TR job as a passion instead of a ‘job’. Getting my certification and following my dream to help people heal through horses has been one of the most rewarding things I have done in my life and I wish you all the best if you pursue it. Please feel free to PM me with any questions.
Not quite the answer you are looking for, but the local horse therapy group was run by a therapist from the local hospital.
The hospital helped pay for her and another therapist and some of the costs of two days a week of horse therapy sessions for some of the suitable clients.
Insurance from the clients also helped defray costs, as did donations and grants she applied for from local and national foundations, since it is a non-profit organization.
They program used suitable horses private owners provided free of charge.
We had three of our own in rotation of two to three months each.
A local trainer volunteered her time to go over and exercise the horses when not being worked in the two days of sessions, while in their care.
That management kept the horses fresh.
When started, the insurance was thru a state program and that was cut two years ago in the state budget rearrangement, so the group is inactive now, at least until funding is reinstated for those government programs.
I tell you this so you keep getting ideas how different programs may work and some more ways to manage them.
Also to clarify some things, as Bluey mentioned insurance. Any form of therapeutic/adaptive riding is not covered by insurance (or should not as this is considered fraudulent if it is). I am assuming Bluey is talking about hippotherapy and other forms of equine assisted therapy. I do something very similar with my clients as an occupational therapist. I contract with a farm to borrow suitable horses.
There are plenty of facilities out there that do adaptive/therapeutic riding. Just be careful that you pick a facility that really focuses on teaching riding skills whether for a recreational or prepping the riders for competitive riding. I find way to many center using lots of games and claiming they are doing similar things as therapy and so forth. Of course, if you are interested in exploring the therapy route is would be good to find a therapist to shadow that uses hippotherapy as part of his/her treatment strategy.
Wow, wow, wow! Thank you all for the incredible responses. I really appreciate it hearing about your guys’ wonderful stories 
As mentioned, I am currently volunteering at an amazing barn (it only focuses on therapeutic riding - both psychological/emotionally and physical, but no hippotherapy as there is no on-sight therapist) and so far I absolutely love it. From what I’ve seen, they seem very qualified and I feel like they really could help me through the process of becoming certified if I pursue it. I have around ten years of horse experience so that will definitely help me if I decide to go down the hippotherapy path. Again, thank you guys SO much!
