The Role of Recreational Therapy in Equine-Assisted Services

Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialists (CTRS®) have incorporated equines into their practice for many years. Though not common, it is growing in popularity as the demand for equine-assisted services (EAS) grows. Recent factors draw new attention and significance to the discussion, including the 2021 Optimal Terminology Consensus paper. This paper left out recreational therapy (RT) service provision. The American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) Board of Directors commissioned a task force to define the position of therapeutic recreation within the defined service provisions of EAS and the role of the CTRS® in the implementation. This paper examines RT within the newly defined EAS scope. As a result of this work, RT was accepted as a therapy service as defined by the parameters of the Optimal Terminology Consensus paper under “Therapy.” The role of the CTRS® in planning and implementing a RT session incorporating equines using the Assessment, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation (APIE) process is also discussed. The hope is to advocate for and bring awareness to the essential role of RT and the need for further development of professional competencies, training, protocols, and standards for CTRS®s who incorporate equines into their practice as an intervention or modality for their clients.