The Ethical Foundation of Wellbeing for All

<p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" class="first" dir="auto" id="d3581869e54"> <b>Abstract</b> <p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3581869e59">Athena Herd Foundation holds the Accredited Practitioner Register in the UK. It is founded on ethical standards that frame the care for, and treatment of, both service users and the horses supporting those interactions. These standards provides service user with piece of mind about engaging practitioners and appropriate recourse in the event of unprofessional behaviours and or observed mis-treatment or upkeep of the horses. The Register’s ethical standards have been drafted in line with David Mellor’s five domains. This means that we are looking at standards of practice and care in the Equine Assisted Services market through the lens of this model. In particular, for the purpose of this discussion, the adaptions to the 4th domain with behavioural interactions being more clearly divided into environment, other animals (horses), and humans. We will explore and share the Athena experience of managing equine wellbeing alongside the provision of EAS activities. For us, this means a 360-degree consideration of the horse’s needs, which aligns to all the domains, though in particular the fourth. We will explore the environment from the experience of horses that live on a hybrid track system, which includes an outline of the practical developments beyond the core “paddock paradise” concept. Noting in so doing that this is not an option for every practitioner. This 360-degree view of the equines’ welfare means not just the day-to-day care but also care during, and recovery after, the session. We will also consider what choice means for the horse in this context, and a reflection of our horses’ behaviours in the context of being provided with that voice. Also covered was the benefit of working with the horse’s in their environment, i.e. on the track system (in our case) and how that creates a very specific dynamic around the learning or therapeutic interaction. <p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3581869e61"> <b>Bio</b> <p xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" dir="auto" id="d3581869e66">Elizabeth Curry is the owner of Bittersweet Farm LLC and has spent much of her life working with horses, including riding on Northwestern University’s equestrian team. She has extensive teaching experience with both children and adults and has been affiliated with Athena® Herd Foundation since 2021, completing multiple certifications and mentorship training. Elizabeth has trained and taught in both the U.S. and England, and is currently completing a Level 7 postgraduate action research project focused on equine-assisted interventions for sibling rivalry. She lives with her family, horses, and sheep in the western suburbs of Chicago.