MISSION & PROGRAMS

Mission:
Animals as Natural Therapy's mission is to improve mental and behavioral health through equine-assisted and animal-guided programs and mentorship with special attention to youth and veterans in Northwest Washington.

Our organization conducts Equine Assisted Services in accordance with the EQUUS Foundation Guidelines on Qualifications of Organizations Conducting Equine Assisted Services (EAS).
Our organization provides community outreach and/or public education programs involving horses.
Our organization is directly responsible for the care and shelter of equines involved in our programs.
80% of our total programs and services are horse-related.
Our organization does not use satellite, overflow, foster, and/or outreach facilities

Equine Assisted Services (EAS):
Our organization provides the following Equine Assisted Services (EAS):
    Therapeutic Mounted Services
    Therapeutic Unmounted Services
    Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy/Counseling (Mental Health)
    Equine-Assisted Learning involving Academic Learning
    Equine-Assisted Learning involving Personal and/or Professional Development

3: Total number of Equine Assisted Service Providers at Animals as Natural Therapy

     1. Amanda Martin

         FACILITY PARTICIPATION:

         RELATIONSHIP:

         SERVICES PROVIDED:

         Therapeutic Mounted Services

         Therapeutic Unmounted Services

         Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy/Counseling (Mental Health)

         Equine-Assisted Learning involving Academic Learning

         Equine-Assisted Learning involving Personal and/or Professional Development

         DEGREES, LICENSES AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS

         Amanda Martin is a PATH International Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor and Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning. She has a Master's Degree in English and currently teaches English composition, literature, and humanities at Whatcom Community College. Amanda continues to develop professionally by attending conferences and workshops, presenting to peers and researching in the areas of mental health, child development, and student-centered pedagogies. She has worked with children and teens since 2001 as mentor and teacher, facilitating experiential learning with animals.

Overview of our programs involved with providing EAS to individuals with special needs:
     Our Equine Assisted Experiential Growth and Learning (EAGAL) programming utilizes horses and directly serves over 300 youth per year, 70% of whom are low income. ANT offers nine-week weekly sessions in the fall, winter, and spring, as well as six separate week-long summer day camps. Some children, youth, and veterans also meet with our mental health counselors individually or with their families throughout the year in equine-facilitated mental health work.
     
     Many of the youth that ANT serves, due to their limited resources, will not have access to or seek traditional counseling on their own. This means that ANT's Animal-Assisted Experiential Learning programs (some of which involve a mental health counselor) are often the only mental health support these youth will ever receive or accept. ANT has a growing waiting list of vulnerable children, teens, and veterans that are desperately in need of ANT's services but are unable to pay for them. A number of these individuals are being raised by grandparents, extended family, foster or adoptive parents due to parental instability, addiction, and incarceration. ANT's highly effective and innovative programs are a way to ensure these young people are provided a place where they develop inner strength, self-confidence, healthy relationship skills and tools they need for the extra life challenges they face. These youth need hope and a new way of doing life to break family cycles.
     At the farm, young people practice honest, respectful methods of communication and challenge themselves in multiple ways. They learn to face their fears. This empowers them to make healthy choices. To affect such life-altering changes, ANT works in tandem with horses. These sensitive, thousand pound animals are great mirrors for reflecting human emotions. They demand healthy boundaries, clear communication, and trust in order for people to build successful relationships with them. Horses teach essential life skills, in a fun and lasting way, that are inaccessible by way of traditional methods.
     
     ANT utilizes innovative activities and group processing to develop powerful metaphors and life parallels. Through this work, the young people gain self-confidence and self-worth. They develop leadership, communication, problem solving, and teamwork skills. In a safe and supportive environment they can push the envelope of their fears and learn ways to overcome those fears. They learn to set boundaries, to feel, to identify and communicate their needs, and to express their appreciation of others.
     
     The SAFETY NET PROGRAM specifically serves youth and teens identified as behaviorally and emotionally challenged and in need of support for their particular challenges. These youths are referred by collaborating local and tribal schools, community organizations, professionals, and families. This program is ANT's main project and includes year-round weekly sessions for groups or individuals, summer camps, and also family sessions.
     
     ANT's programming is set up to provide unique challenges and the horses play an integral part. Horses have a way of letting us know which of our strategies are effective and which are not. They give us a chance to try out new skills without any judgment, only direct, honest feedback. Creating a healthy relationship with an animal can guide us to more successful relationships at home, school, and in the community.
     
     ANT strives to help young people develop lifelong skills that will help them to live self-sufficient, fulfilled lives. ANT has constructed a plan to track the success of this program. Variables include increased confidence, GPA improvement, less incidences requiring disciplinary action, positive peer interaction, and the ability to set boundaries. This tracking will be long term and the data will hopefully be mutually beneficial to ANT's efforts and the efforts of all the partners who support the idea of providing a "Safety Net" to catch any young person before they fall.
     
     The LEARNING LIFE PROGRAM serves youth through a variety of school partnerships ranging from a tribal preschool to weekly high school groups. Students have the opportunity to come to Windy Acres Farm to learn from animals, caring people, and the natural world. Here, the learning is truly 'hands-on' and experiential--learning how to convince a 1100 pound horse to move away from the grass, working with classmates to move horses through an obstacle without touching them, or noticing how calming it is to just be outside holding a soft bunny in their arms.
     
     Animals as Natural Therapy partners with 5 school districts and 2 tribal schools to provide our Learning Life programs, which include:
     • Eighth graders taking small animals (including miniature horses) to visit elders in residential care facilities for their service learning projects.
     • Preschoolers from the Lummi Head Start program coming to learn about treating animals and humans with kindness.
     • School counselors referring struggling students for sessions. While they may get the message that they are 'not okay' in the classroom, youth can rediscover their worth on the farm.
     • Teachers coming for "Teach the Teacher" events and other specialized trainings.
     • Teens facing academic, social, and behavioral challenges in and out of the classroom. The BRIDGES program for “troubled and troubling” high school students in Bellingham School District comes weekly during the school year. Many outwardly 'tough' teenagers join the Thursday outings so they can come for what they call "Fuzz Therapy” and then experience greater success at school and at home.
     • Groups of middle school students come for two days of Leadership and Bullying Awareness Workshops. With staff, fellow students, and the horses, they develop a deeper awareness of self and others, boundaries, what positive leadership can look and feel like, and how to speak up for themselves and others.
     
     The EAGLE PROJECT assists veterans returning from military efforts to face the challenges of depression, PTSD, addictions, and anger. Veterans may meet work in groups, individually or with family members. Using equine-assisted activities, ANT provides a means to release troubling emotions and increase coping skills, something especially useful for those who have experienced psychological and physical trauma. This program specifically focuses on helping veterans develop the tools to manage:
     
     • Reintegration- Transition back to civilian life is challenging. Equine-assisted learning methods help one move from a sense of isolation to a sense of community.
     • Crisis- Hopelessness is turned around by the companionship and understanding shared by the horse and humans at ANT.
     • Addictions- A horse’s strong intuition and acceptance of our full range of feelings has helped many individuals overcome addictive tendencies.
     • PTSD and/or Depression- Horses are fight or flight animals who have learned to deal with their own anxieties and who invite humans to develop strategies to address theirs.
     
     Our human staff are certified with PATH, EAGALA, CHA and we utilize in our sessions information gathered from Linda Kohanov's Equus work, Natural horsemanship practitioners, Frank Bell, Adventures in Awareness and the Masterson Beyond Massage technique.

Overview of our programs involved with providing community outreach and/or public education programs involving horses:
     We present to school groups about jobs/careers/taking care of equines/animals. They can also visit the farm for educational field trips.
     
     Our animals and miniature equines attend community events like fundraisers.
     
     Our MOBILE ANT brings the joy of connecting with animals to elder care facilities, homeless shelters, and stressed university students. In this inter-generational program, youth from schools and rehab programs bring bunnies, chickens, dogs and miniature horses to visit elders. Teens and elders connect and find value in themselves and one another. These interactions invite youth to develop empathy, practice respectful communication with older people and patience with animals. This program builds community between over 100 youth and hundreds of elder community members each year.

Research/Medical Use of Equines:
Our organization has never made, and would not ever consider making, equines available for research studies or medical training that involves invasive procedures and/or that which may cause pain or suffering to the equine. 

Religious Affiliation:
Our organization does not promote religious education, religious purposes, or a specific religious faith or use donations for religious education or religious purposes; require participants to be of a certain faith; require participation in religious, instruction, activities or services; or require participation in prayer, worship, religious instruction or other religious activities as a condition of receiving social or secular services offered. 

Auction Donation:
Our organization has never allowed, or would not consider allowing, an equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that would cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter. 

Our Programs/Activities that are not equine-related and/or involving animals other than equines:
 The other animals that participate in ANT programs are: rabbits, chickens, goats, and dogs.
     
     The miniature equines as well as some of the smaller animals are involved in visits to assisted care facilities with our Mobile ANT program, and also out in the community: the nearby university at mid-terms, homeless shelters and local community events. Our smaller animals are often enjoyed by visitors of all ages to the farm and each has a special role to play.

POLICIES: ACQUISITION

Our organization acquires horses/equines from the following source(s):
    Donation  
    Lease  
    Purchase/Adoption from Owner  

Our organization does not acquire horses/equines from the following source(s):
    Auction  
    Kill pen/Feedlot  
    Return  
    Surrender  
    Seizure  
    Abandonment  

Our organization will accept the following:
    Geldings
    Mares

Not Checked:
    Pregnant Mares
    Foals
    Stallions
    Only Stallions to be castrated

Additional information about our acquisition policies and practices:
We will consider accepting horses from any source - but generally sources include donation or lease. We always ask for a three month trial for any horse coming into our program, as not all horses enjoy EAL/EFP work and some horses become stressed in the new environment.

POLICIES: INTAKE, ASSESSMENT & TRAININING

Prior to a horse being accepted and/or arriving at the facility, the organization requires the following with respect to the health status of the horse:
    A current Coggins
    Vaccination records that have been administered within the last 12 months
    If health records are not available or are out-of-date, the owner is responsible for having vaccinations administered.
    A health certificate signed by a veterinarian and dated no more than seven days prior to arrival attesting to the health status of the equine is provided to our organization either prior to or upon arrival of the equine

Prior to a horse being accepted and/or arriving at the facility, the organization has the following policies in place:
    The owner of a potential equine is interviewed over the phone or in person prior to seeing the equine
    The equine is evaluated at its place of residence
    The owner completes an application/contract which constitutes the agreement between the owner and our organization
    Equines are on trial for 60 or more days
    The trial period may be reduced based on the equine's progress
    During the trial period, the organization accepts financial responsibility for the care of the equine, including board, feed, shoeing and any necessary veterinary care, up to a fixed amount agreed upon by the organization and the owner
    The trial period may be terminated by either the organization or the owner for any reason

Following arrival of the equine at the facility, the following is performed:
    Physical examination by trained barn staff
    Photographs are taken of each equine upon arrival at the facility and kept with the equine's health records
    A Henneke Body Conditioning Score or other body conditioning score is assigned
    Physical examination by a farrier

Upon intake, the organization has the following quarantine policy in place:
    The equine is not quarantined

The typical length of quarantine is:   Horses are not quarantined

Horses are assessed for following skills and behaviors:
    Retrieval from a pasture/paddock
    Leading with a halter and lead rope
    Temperament, disposition and attitude, such as rated from very calm to very high spirited
    Saddling
    Bridling
    Lunging
    Loading onto and unloading off a trailer
    Mounting and dismounting
    Riding at the walk
    Riding at the trot
    Riding at the canter
    Riding by a beginner and/or unbalanced rider
    Tolerance to unusual objects and loud noises
    Known vices, i.e., cribbing, biting, kicking, weaving, stall walking, etc
    Grooming
    Bathing
    Clipping
    Tolerance to multiple handlers at the same time

Our organization has the following policies and procedures in place pertaining to the ongoing assessment of horses in its care:
    The Henneke Body Condition score or other body conditioning score is updated at least annually
    Photographs are taken of each equine annually and kept with the equine's health records
    Equines at our facility may be treated by an equine chiropractor
    Equines at our facility may be treated by an equine acupuncturist
    Equines at our facility may be treated by an equine massage therapist
    Physical examination by a veterinarian at least annually
Our organization has the following policies and procedures in place pertaining to the weight-carrying or workload capabilities of horses/equines that are ridden in our care:
    Our organization evaluates at least annually and maintains a written record of the weight-carrying and workload limitations for each equine that is ridden

The following variables are considered in determining the weight-carrying and workload limitations for each equine that is ridden:
    Equine age, weight, breed, body condition, fitness, balance, health and soundness
    Equine conformation to include the top line, length of back, strength and width of loin, bone density (measured by the circumference of the cannon bone just below the knee)
    Size, shape, condition and angle of the hooves
    Participant weight, height, body proportions, balance, fitness and riding skills as well as behavioral issues and safety concerns
    Weight and proper fit of the saddle and other equipment
    Terrain and footing in the working environment
    Duration and frequency of working sessions, as the frequency with which an equine is subjected to maximum weight carrying and/or workload
    Nature and pace of work, repetitive or varied, radius of turns, degree of incline and regularity of footing when equine is subject to maximum weight-carrying capacity
    Temperature and/or weather conditions
    Seasonal impact on the equines' workload and weight-carrying capabilities and limitations


Horses provided formal training (groundwork or riding):   As needed; no set schedule

Additional information about our intake, assessment & training policies and practices:
We have a detailed intake process that includes talking to the equine's owner about the details of the equine's veterinary, vaccination, and deworming history. We require a current Coggins test along with a health check from the vet before moving to our farm. We require that every equine is up to date on vaccinations and deworming.
     
     We do not quarantine as we do not have readily available access to a space where we are able to properly quarantine the equine. We require as many health checks as possible before moving an equine onto the property and rely on the veterinary assessment. We do not often have equines moving on or off the property.

POLICIES: BREEDING

The organization has the following policies related to breeding and stallions:
    The facility or facilities where our organization conducts its programs, including foster facilities, does NOT breed equines.

Additional information about our breeding policies and practices:
Animals as Natural Therapy has decided that we are best able to provide services to our community with horses that are donated and/or leased to us and that we do not have capacity to breed equines.

POLICIES: EUTHANASIA

The organization has the following policies related to euthanasia:
    Our organization will never have an equine euthanized for space
    Our organization will never have a healthy equine euthanized under any circumstances
    Our organization may have an equine euthanized upon the recommendation of the veterinarian after all reasonable treatment options have been explored
    Euthanasia is done on site when possible to decrease trauma from transport
    Disposal of the carcass is handled within 24 hours

The following are authorized to administer the procedure for your organization in accordance with state laws:
    Veterinarian

Additional information about our euthanasia policies and practices:
Euthanasia is always our last resort. We provide our equines with as much care as possible from our veterinarian and trust our veterinarian to tell us when we have tried all treatment options. Our veterinarian provides farm calls so the only reason for the equine to be euthanized off-site would be if an emergency happened while the equine off-site.

POLICIES: RE-HOMING

View Re-homing Agreement
Our organization has the following re-homing (adoption/purchase) policies and procedures in place:
    All potential adopters/purchasers complete a written contract which constitutes the agreement between our organization and the new owner
    Our organization does NOT re-home an equine to first time equine owners
    Our organization will only re-home an equine to a location where another equine resides
    Potential adopters/purchasers must visit our organization and be observed with the equine on site
    The distance of a potential adopter/purchaser's home from our facility is a consideration for when re-homing an equine
    Our organization conducts a site visit of the adopter/purchaser's facility before the transfer of the equine to the adopter/purchaser's facility
    Potential adopters/purchasers are encouraged to do a short-term, on-site foster with the equine

The uploaded Re-homing agreement includes the following re-homing (adoption/purchase) statements:
    The agreement reflects that any individual or organization in possession of the equine as of the date of the agreement and any time thereafter is bound to not sell the equine at auction for slaughter or allow the equine to be sold, transferred, released, or otherwise placed into possession of any person or organization that will cause or allow the equine to be sold at auction for slaughter.
    The agreement states that should the adopter decide to re-home the equine, our organization must be notified of the name, address, and telephone number of any individual or organization intending to take possession of the equine for any reason prior to the equine being placed into the possession of such individual or organization.
    The agreement states that the terms of our organization's agreement will be binding on any future individual or organization taking and/or in possession of the equine for any reason.
    The agreement states that re-homed equines cannot be bred
    The agreement states that if there is any breach of contract the equine must be returned to our organization
    The agreement states that adopters/purchasers can return an equine to our organization free of charge
    The agreement states that adopters/purchasers are required to provide updates (photos, vet records) for two years

Our organization requires references from the following:
    Not applicable or no references required.

Transfer of ownership occurs:   Immediately (at the time of adoption/purchase) or less than one year

The average equine re-homing (adoption/purchase) fee received by your organization:
Not applicable; None received

Our organization has the following policies and procedures related to horses that need to be retired, are no longer useful, or are no longer manageable:
    Equines may remain at our organization for their lifetimes
    Equines may be found suitable homes by our organization
    Equines may be returned to their owners
    In the case an equine is unsound and/or unhealthy and cannot be treated to relieve suffering, the equine may be euthanized upon the recommendation of the veterinarian

Additional information about our rehoming policies and practices:
We do not advertise the equine we need to rehome. We rely on our network to find the equine a suitable home. Because of this, we do not always require a rehoming fee other than transport cost because we are confident that the new home does not have any intention on reselling the horse and will be providing our organization updates on that equine.