GAIT Equine Assisted Services receives grant to strengthen care

GAIT Equine Assisted Services has been awarded $20,000 from the Bob and Toni Mallet Access Grant through PATH International to help improve access to equine-assisted services.

The funds will support several initiatives designed to strengthen GAIT’s clinical capacity and quality of care by advancing staff training and professional certification, including:

Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist (HPCS) through the American Hippotherapy Association

Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning (ESMHL) certification through PATH Intl.• Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor (CTRIs) certification through PATH Intl.• Fundamentals in Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) facilitator training through PATH Intl.

These certifications will strengthen GAIT’s staff by restoring critical clinical expertise and expanding the organization’s capacity to deliver high-quality equine-assisted services. They also ensure that the professionals guiding GAIT’s programs meet the highest national standards for safety, ethics, and trauma-informed care.

In addition to workforce development, funding was also awarded to continue growing GAIT’s Jean Work Scholarship Fund, with a focus on expanding access for local school districts’ special education and youth-at-risk classrooms, as well as individual participants who may not qualify for local foundation support but still need assistance accessing services.

The Jean Work Scholarship Fund is GAIT’s primary scholarship program, created to ensure that individuals and families who need equine-assisted services most can still participate, regardless of financial circumstances.

“At GAIT, the horses do something extraordinary,” said Eva Warner, Executive Director of GAIT Equine Assisted Services. “They help people rediscover strength, trust, and hope. This investment from PATH International allows us not only to expand access to that healing, but also to train the next generation of professionals who will carry this work forward.”

Thanks to partners like PATH International, GAIT will be able to expand access to life-changing services while increasing the number of trained professionals able to safely deliver this work for years to come.