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Description
This Capstone and Applied Leadership Experience (ALE) was completed with Enabling Equines, a nonprofit organization providing hippotherapy and therapeutic riding services in rural Eastern Kentucky. The primary ACOTE focus area was Education, with additional emphasis on Advocacy and Clinical Practice. The purpose of this project was to develop a sustainable educational website to increase community awareness, advocate for the role of occupational therapy in equine-assisted interventions and improve access to information about hippotherapy and therapeutic riding. A needs assessment conducted with the site mentor and organizational members identified the lack of an online presence as a significant barrier to community awareness, referrals, volunteer recruitment, partnerships, and funding opportunities. Research demonstrates that hippotherapy and equine-assisted therapeutic riding can improve mobility, balance, coordination, core strength, activities of daily living, social participation, and quality of life. The project involved collaborating with organizational leadership, volunteering within the program, designing and publishing an educational website, and presenting the completed resource to stakeholders for implementation. Effectiveness was evaluated through ongoing collaboration, stakeholder feedback, and successful completion of the website. This capstone demonstrates leadership through program development, interdisciplinary collaboration, and community advocacy while advancing occupational therapy by promoting equitable access to specialized services in underserved rural communities. The completed website serves as a sustainable resource to educate families, healthcare providers, and community members, increase volunteer and donor engagement, and support the continued growth of Enabling Equines while reducing barriers to participation in equine-assisted services for children and families throughout Eastern Kentucky.
Graduation Date
2026
Disciplines
Occupational Therapy
Degree Type
Book
Site Mentor
Paige Oliver, OTR/L, CTRI, CIMC
Comments
Link to Presentation: https://youtu.be/3GlN7-ptdFU