HETI Headlines May 2025
Welcome to our May issue of the HETI Headlines. Apologies for the slight delay! It has been a great month of meetings, connections and learning. We had our webinar with Lucy Rees, a HETI Live facilitated by EC member, Selcuk Akpinar and the HETI(UK) Forum was held in Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship.
This coming month, we're very excited to have a webinar with Cristina Wilkins, who will be looking at the pratical application of the Five Domains of Equine Welfare, as well as a fantastic HETI Live with EC member, Ines Pereira Figueiredo about the horse and human bond. Not only that, but we'll have the next Asia Pacific meeting too!
We're excited for all that's to come, so make sure to join us!
With warm regards,
Kirstin O'Neill
HETI Executive Director/Secretary
HETI Strategic Plan 2024 - 2027
Updates:
Terminology
The EAS Sector maps are now available on the HETI Website. These maps aim to provide a clear overview of the EAS Sector relevant to each country. You can also download the template for the map so that you can create one for your country. Please email your completed maps to the HETI office.
HETI Online Platform
The HETI online platform is nearly ready to launch. Our task force have been working tirelessly to research the best platform that our members can connect with each other, set up networks, communicate in their own language etc. Stay tuned for more information on this!
National standards listing - We now have 11 countries listed in our National Standards for EAS page. If you would like to list information for your country, please get in touch with the HETI office.
Membership
Our membership and marketing task force are working hard to establish the best way to make our membership fees accessible and fair for everyone. We also hope to establish a rolling membership year so that everyone receives a full year, no matter when they pay their fees. There will be more information about this in the coming months.
As we continue to work on our strategic plan, we would love to hear your feedback! Please contact the HETI office to share your thoughts.
HETI Asia Pacific Network
The HETI Asia Pacific Network will meet again on Thursday 19th June at 5pm Tokyo, 6pm Sydney, 8pm Wellington, 4pm Beijing.
This is open to anyone involved in EAS in the Asia Pacific Region that is interested in connecting with other practitioners.
The next meeting will focus on terminology used in EAS within the Asia Pacific Region.
HETI LIVE MEETING
Our next HETI Live meeting will take place on 5th June at 15:00 Central European Summer Time (Paris/Brussels).
Join HETI EC member, Ines Pereira Figueiredo, as she discusses several topics and recent insights concerning the significance of maintaining a positive relationship with horses in Equine-Assisted Services (EAS). It will explore the underlying mechanisms and neurobiology associated with bonding in EAS. Additionally, we will engage in an open discourse on controversial perspectives, such as the 'Theory of Attachment' and the 'Emotional Transfer Hypothesis' between horses and humans.
Please note: If you have already registered for a HETI Live meeting, you will automatically receive the meeting link.
HETI LIVE Calendar
HETI LIVE meetings will take a break for July and August but will return in September.
HETI Educational Webinar
We're excited to have PhD candidate, write and welfare Scientist, Cristina Wilkins for our June webinar.
In this webinar, you’ll gain fresh perspectives, practical tools, and a ‘welfare language’ that will boost your confidence in assessing and improving horses’ lives in real-world settings. Whether you work in Equine-Assisted Therapies or simply want to integrate welfare improvements into everything you do with your horses, this session will help you recognise what you’re already doing well, and show you where there are opportunities to make an even greater impact.
Join Cristina on 25th June at 11:00 Central European Summer Time (Brussels/Paris)
HETI Educational webinars are free to HETI members. If you are not a HETI member, you will be able to purchase some of the webinar recordings in the HETI store.
Recordings available for free to HETI members:
1. Enriching connection with our equine partners - Andrea Wady*
2. The horse’s movement and how it influences the rider - Susanne von Dietze*
3. From principle to practice: The application of the 5 Domains Model of Animal Welfare - Dr. Andrew McLean*
4. Myths of Equine Vision - Dr. Janet Jones
5. Horse Boy Method and more - Rupert Isaacson
6. Recognising equine emotions and stress and its role in the field of Equine-Assisted Services - Dr. Helen Spence*
7. The role of posture and pain in equine behaviour and how to effect positive change - Linda Tellington-Jones*
8. Social License and the EAS Sector - Roly Owers*
9. An exploratory study into the backgrounds and perspectives of Equine-Assisted Service practitioners - Rita Seery*
10. Applied Equine Anatomy and Biomechanics for the EAS Professional - Gillian Higgins*
11. Enhancing EAS Quality Through Feedback and Measurement Innovations - Prof. Selcuk Akpinar*
12. Horses touch more than our skin: Hospice and Palliative Care with Horses - Mag. Renate Deimel*
13. Achieving the impossible: Our journey to the paralympic games 2024 - Marianna Grammatikaki*
14. The Medical Model in Nature Based Therapy - Dr. Celia Grummitt*
15. Understanding Equine Mental Health: Prioritizing Welfare in Equine Assisted Services - Lucy Rees*
*available to purchase in the HETI store for Non-members
The HETI Library is now live. We have the information for 8 books regarding EAS on our website but would love to add more! This is open to anyone who has published a book about EAS. Please see the submission form below.
This initiative is non-commercial and aims to promote awareness of Equine Assisted Services. However, only books authored by individual HETI members or by organisations that are HETI members will receive additional visibility. This includes promotion on HETI’s social media channels, Newsletter and in the Global Gallop magazine, as well as the option to include a purchase link alongside the book description.
Call for Submissions!
We are seeking original submissions with the purpose of advancing knowledge in the field of Equine Assisted Services.
The HETI Journal has several submission categories:
Original Research - An original research study conducted by the author.
Literature Review - A comprehensive or systematic review of research on a specific topic.
Study Protocols - Procedures for proposed original scientific investigations
that contribute to the development of equine-assisted services.
Clinical Cases (Case studies) - A presentation of a simple comprehensive case study or multiple case studies.
Theory and Practice - A discussion of a specific topic in the field.
Letter to the Editor - Comments on articles published in the HETI journal or in other journals on topics related to the equine-assisted field.
Manuscripts are reviewed through a double-blind peer-review system and submissions are welcome throughout the year.
HETI Journal: International Research and Practice 2025
We have just published the 2025 issue of the HETI Journal: International Research and Practice.
Volume 24 of the HETI Journal: International Research and Practice comprises 5 research papers on various topics such as Equine Assisted Learning, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and the characteristics of Equines working in EAS. The abstracts for these papers are available in the HETI journal repository.
The individual manuscripts are also available to purchase through the journal repository on the HETI website.
The Global Gallop
The next issue of The Global Gallop will be published in August. If you missed submissions for this issue, you can send your submission for our January issue.
If you would like to place an advertisement in our next issue, you will see our advertisement rates on the Global Gallop webpage.
Mary Selway Swift Development Fund
This fund is available to be used “to promote and improve the educational opportunities, training and quality of riding therapy through the development of therapeutic riding programmes internationally” on the request of the late Mary Selway Swift.
Applicants are welcome all year round.
Any payments from the fund will be made on the recommendation of the HETI Executive Committee.
Any one grant will not exceed €1,000 (Euro).
Applications should have the support of a HETI Member or relevant recognised organisation.
If you would like to donate to this fund, please contact the HETI office.
International Events for the next month
5th June - HETI Live - Ines Pereira Figueiredo (online)
13th-15th June - Unlocking the power of Equine Assisted Therapy in Speech challenging cases - 3 day workshop (USA)
16th June - EAS Technician. Connect with horses, transform lives. (Spain)
19th June - Asia-Pacific Network meeting (online)
25th June - HETI Educational Webinar – The Five Domains of Horse Welfare in Practice (online)
If you have any events, webinars or courses that you would like to advertise, please send them to the HETI office -
office@hetifederation.org
