THE Human Equine Interaction Register (HEIR) was launched at Saddlers’ Hall, London on Friday, March 11th in preparation for going live last week.

Paralympian Natasha Baker OBE, Patron of the Register said, “It’s a massive, honour to be the patron of HEIR. I think that coming up through Riding for the Disabled and benefitting not just physically but through friendships, mixing with people with similar interests, and meeting people with different disabilities and challenges, has given me so much and without it, I wouldn’t have six Olympic gold medals to my name.

“There are so many individuals and organisations out there that provide these services and people need to be able to find them to access the service that best suits their needs. I am really excited to watch the Register grow.”

The Register will operate under the umbrella of the Federation of Horses in Education and Therapy International (HETI), a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates collaborations between organisations and individuals offering equine-assisted activities and therapies.

In 2021, HETI established the Irish Register of Equine Assisted Activity Practitioners as a two-year pilot project listing the names and contact details of individuals and organisations who provide equine assisted services such as therapy, education and activities in Ireland.

Those who have already paid to be part of the Irish Register will be exempt from paying to join the UK (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) Register but will still have to apply to meet the slightly different evidence required.

The number of human equine interaction programmes available has increased significantly over the past decade and the scope, size and professional backgrounds of these services vary greatly, with little co-ordination as to standards of practice for service users, practitioners, or equines.

The Register opened to the UK and Ireland on Thursday as a voluntary register to bring together everyone involved in the field of human equine interaction, ensuring high quality service provision and create greater awareness of this field of work.

Nigel Payne, MBE said, “At the Sir Peter O’ Sullevan Trust, we get an enormous amount of applications for funding where charities suggest that they are experts in equine assisted therapy, but it is vital that we know that they are recognised through a form of ‘kitemark’.

“This Register is perfect because we would like to be able to access a database, know what they do, where they are located and that they are safe to practice. This is so important as it avoids potential harm to service users and horses. As a grantmaker we need to know that they have been endorsed to be on the Register.”

The Register will provide a place where clients, service commissioners and funders can get information and reassurance that the organisation offering human equine interaction services is credible and works to minimum standards. This will not only help protect the services users and welfare of therapy equines, but also reassure anyone using these invaluable services that they are working ethically and with the horses’ best interests at heart.

More information about the Register can be found at https://hetifederation.org/heir-info