Glossary of Terms
ADVANCING PRACTICE (AP) or ADVANCING CLINICAL PRACTITIONERS (ACP)
AP or ACP is delivered by experienced registered healthcare practitioners. It is a level of practice characterised by a high level of autonomy and complex decision-making, which is underpinned by a Master’ level award or equivalent. It encompasses the four pillars of clinical practice, management and leadership, education and research, with demonstration of core and area-specific clinical competence. An experienced Allied Health Professional (PT, OT, SLT) who demonstrates an advanced level of knowledge and reasoning in using equine movement in treatment, having successfully completed a postgraduate course recognised and approved by ACPEA.
BACK RIDING
Back riding can be undertaken by a Physiotherapist who has undertaken specialist training and who has been deemed competent to practice this technique. Following assessment, back riding may be considered appropriate for a client. The Physiotherapist will sit behind the client on the horse and combine the equine’s movement together with facilitation techniques to achieve the desired therapeutic outcomes.
BEST PRACTICE
Statements of best practice reflect a technique, methodology, or benchmark which, through experience and research, has been shown to reliably lead to a desired result and that is established or proposed as a suitable standard. They are a set of guidelines, ethics and ideas that represent the most efficient or prudent course of action.
CSP
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) is the professional educational and trade union body for the UK’s 60,000 chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and support workers.
CSP REGISTERED
A Chartered Physiotherapist is a qualified member of their professional body, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). Through this membership, physiotherapists have committed themselves to providing high-quality services and protecting the quality of physical treatments.
CLINICAL REASONING
Clinical reasoning is a process by which clinicians collect, process, and interpret client information, creating a clinical picture, to develop an action plan and
implement interventions. The clinician will evaluate outcomes, reflect on and learn from the process.
EQUINE ACTIVITIES
Equine activities refer to any activity involving the equine. Within ACPEA, equine activities refer to members working within the fields of hippotherapy, back-riding, therapeutic riding, vaulting, para-dressage, para-showjumping, groundwork and the treatment of riders, this list is not exhaustive.
EQUINE ASSISTED PHYSIOTHERAPY (EAPT)
EAPT is the umbrella term given to physiotherapy using an equine. This includes hippotherapy, therapeutic riding, sport riding, remedial vaulting, and groundwork. (NB all these are defined separately).
EQUINE HANDLER
Indicates the individual preparing and handling the equine prior to, during and following a treatment session. They respond to directions by the therapist to alter the movement of the hippotherapy equine to cause a response in the client during a therapy session. They are responsible for monitoring the safety and well-being of the equine at all times.
EQUINE OR HORSE
A general description is inclusive of horses, ponies, miniatures, mules or donkeys.
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE (EBP)
EBP requires that decisions about health care are based on the best available, current, valid and relevant evidence. These decisions should be made by those receiving care, informed by the tacit and explicit knowledge of those providing care, within the context of available resource. EBP is important in order to underpin and shape how the profession delivers patient care, promote the value and impact of UK physiotherapy’s contribution to meeting population and patient needs in clinically and cost-effective ways and inform the development of physiotherapy practice, service delivery and education, and physiotherapy’s development as a workforce. It helps progress the profession’s approach to developing, using and promoting research and its contribution to generating new evidence, knowledge transfer and service improvement.
GROUNDWORK
Groundwork is a field within EFT or EFL that does not involve riding a horse. The range of activities within this field is diverse with some approaches requiring additional training. Examples of when groundwork may be chosen as the preferred approach when there is an identified need for self-development and self-awareness. It is particularly helpful for developing trust, relationships, confidence and self-esteem.
HABILITATION
Allied health professional services (AHP) such as PT, OT or SLT help an individual acquire, keep, learn or improve skills and functioning for communication and daily living.
HCPC REGISTERED
Health Care Professions Council are a statutory regulator of health and care professions in the UK. By law, healthcare professionals must be registered with the HCPC to work in the United Kingdom. They set standards, hold a register, quality assurance education and investigate complaints. Their role is to protect the public.
HIPPOTHERAPY (HPOT)
The term hippotherapy refers to how physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy professionals use evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning in the purposeful manipulation of equine movement as a therapy tool to engage sensory, neuromotor, musculoskeletal and cognitive systems to promote functional outcomes. Hippotherapy exists within a medical model of treatment, in which the equine movement is a treatment tool applied by the therapist.
HIPPOTHERAPY EQUINE
An equine that has been selected and trained to be used in the delivery of hippotherapy. Characteristics include but are not limited to, excellent quality of movement that is symmetrical, rhythmic, supple, straight, adjustable, with self-carriage and a steady temperament. The term ‘hippotherapy equine/therapy equine’ is only applicable to equines included within treatment sessions.
INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONING, DISABILITY AND HEALTH (ICF)
The ICF is a framework developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for describing and organising information on function and disability. It provides a standard language and a conceptual basis for the definition and measurement of health and disability for all people. The ICF Framework identifies an individual's health status, activity and participation levels, along with environmental and personal factors to help guide therapists in developing goals and treatment that are patient-centred.
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (OT)
An Occupational Therapist's focus is on improving health and wellbeing utilising a holistic “doing” approach. They work alongside individuals to enhance occupational engagement and performance, promoting individual strengths while working through the challenges of everyday living imposed by physical, sensory, mental and emotional illnesses.
EQUINE FACILITATED OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY UK
Founded in 2015, UK (EFOT-UK) is a professional network of OT’s based in the United Kingdom. These OT’s have an interest in applying OT principles in equine facilitated therapy (EFT) to assess and provide interventions that enhance the health and wellbeing for suitable individuals.
EFOT-UK MISSION STATEMENT
“EFOT-UK members play an active role in promoting an understanding of the OT role within the field of EFT. This is achieved through defining and promoting the highest standards of practice, liaising with other professionals within the equine field and engaging in research and education”.
PATIENT or CLIENT
A recipient of healthcare services. There will be varied usage of this terminology depending on the provider's discipline and setting. Use of terminology related to persons with functional limitations will follow the common usage by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that is 'people first, disability or diagnosis second'. Preferred statement: 'patient with cerebral palsy (CP).' Incorrect: 'Cerebral Palsy (CP) patient.
PHYSIOTHERAPY or PHYSIOTHERAPIST
Physiotherapists help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. They maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease. The profession helps to encourage development and facilitate recovery, enabling people to stay in work while helping them remain independent for as long as possible. Chartered Physiotherapists are members of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. All Physiotherapists must be state-registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
RIDING FOR THE DISABLED ASSOCIATION (RDA)
RDA is an inclusive and diverse charitable organisation. They welcome participants with physical and learning disabilities and autism. Through a network of member groups, RDA is at work in every corner of the UK, bringing the therapy, achievement and fun of horses to as many people as they are able.
REHABILITATION
Healthcare services such as PT, OT and SLT that help an individual prevent, improve, restore, or replace lost, underdeveloped or deteriorating levels of function in communication and daily living.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
Describes the services that a qualified health professional is deemed competent to perform and permitted to undertake.
SIDE WALKER
A side walker is a support worker who, under the guidance of a qualified therapist, will walk alongside the equine to assist or support the client as required.
SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPIST (SLT)
Speech and Language Therapists provide treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, or with eating, drinking and swallowing. Speech and Language Therapists work with families, carers and other professionals to carry out assessments and personalised therapy programmes which meet an individual’s communication and/or swallowing needs. Speech and Language Therapists are allied health professionals and must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council.
EQUINE-FACILITATED SPEECH AND LANGUAGE THERAPY (EFSLT)
An approach involving the inclusion of an equine and/or the equine environment in an individual’s personalised Speech and Language Therapy programme for facilitating positive communication and/or swallowing outcomes.
SUPPORT WORKER
This refers to support workers whose work is to partly or wholly provide interventions in pursuit of physiotherapy within a physiotherapy, therapy or rehabilitation service, regardless of sector or setting. They provide interventions to support physiotherapy programmes and are an integral part of a physiotherapy or multidisciplinary team. They may undertake any activity that is in pursuit of physiotherapy goals provided that the activity is delegated to them by a registered Healthcare Professional with appropriate supervision in place and where necessary or indicated access to support and advice from a registered physiotherapist. Also to be taken into account is their individual and current competence, as established and maintained through their education, training and continuing professional development.
THERAPEUTIC RIDING
Therapeutic Riding is mainly conducted in a group setting, led by a Riding Coach and may be assisted by a Physiotherapist. Working closely together they will use the equine’s movement with the active riding component of the lesson to stimulate the desired responses in a rider. Having initially assessed the rider, the Physiotherapist can further assist with the riding sessions by advising on manual handling issues, optimal mounting/dismounting techniques and riding session content (such as individually tailored exercises and stretches). Different school movements (e.g. straight lines, circles, serpentines) and changes of pace (e.g. walk, halt, trot) can be incorporated into a session to further challenge a rider. Whilst there are undoubted physical benefits to be had from Therapeutic Riding, it also has strong and positive recreational and psychological elements. Often undertaken under the auspices of the charity ‘Riding for the Disabled Association’.
THERAPY
Treatment provided by a qualified and HCPC registered Allied Health Professional.
TREATMENT
Administration of healthcare to a patient or client, conducted by a healthcare professional where a treatment plan is in place. Can be self-initiated or initiated by referral from a medical practitioner. Proof for client and patient.
VAULTING
Simply described as gymnastics on horseback. Vaulting can be defined as ‘gymnastics upon a moving horse’. By adapting traditional vaulting principles and making goals participant specific, therapeutic vaulting can be used to great effect within physiotherapy treatment programmes. Vaulting is a multi-sensory activity, and it provides many opportunities for a participant to experience, observe, and react. Vaulting can be incorporated both on the ground (rhythm work/warm up) or mounted (using a static barrel or moving horse).
PARA DRESSAGE CLASSIFICATION
A para dressage rider competes at a certain grade, based on their level of impairment, or against able-bodied riders. The classification system is designed to enable disabled riders to compete on equal terms against each other. Athletes are classified according to their disability across a range of grades, which determine the complexity of the movements that they perform with their horses. The athlete profiling, which determines the classification grade, is carried out by Physiotherapists who undergo training to become a Classifier. In Great Britain classification of riders is organised by the British Equestrian Federation (BEF).
