Who We Are

AMERICAN MINIATURE THERAPY HORSE ASSOCIATION

We’re a dedicated group of individuals passionate about the positive impact of miniature therapy horses.

A nonprofit organization founded in 2014, our Board of Directors and Evaluators are a proficient group of practicing miniature therapy equine professionals committed to upholding the highest standards in equine therapy interactions. With years of knowledge and hands-on experience, we’ve developed proven methodologies for both equine training and handler education.

Twenty years ago, there were very few miniature therapy horses and little information on how they should be trained. With the development of social platforms, therapy horse owners and handlers began connecting online sharing knowledge and experiences. During the ten years that followed the interest in using miniature horses in animal-assisted therapy grew exponentially.

With growth comes a need for structure and guidance and there was none. At the time there were no protocols of training or evaluation specifically for miniature therapy horses. Training knowledge was scarce and most who had the knowledge were unwilling to share it. The exception to that unwillingness was Bruce Bohannan.

Willing to share his training and expertise with all interested individuals he has assisted in training hundreds of new therapy teams across the country. Whether in person, via telephone, social media, or email, he’s guided many on their journey to success.

Finally coming to the realization that he couldn’t personally train every horse and handler entering the industry, Bruce founded the American Miniature Therapy Horse Association aka AMTHA. Gathering input from others in the industry, Bruce wrote the AMTHA Qualification Standards of Behavior and Ability for miniature therapy horse teams.

As the first organization to establish industry standards exclusively for miniature therapy equine teams, we took that step further by developing a strict qualification evaluation.

Our evaluation allows devoted handlers and highly trained horses to become AMTHA qualified miniature therapy horse teams. We have many AMTHA qualified teams across the country providing joy and comfort to those in nursing homes, hospitals, special needs children and more. We are diligently working to educate facility managers on the importance of screening the equine therapy teams they invite into their facilities.

Our founder, Bruce Bohannan has a special gift for connecting with the elderly who are often overlooked by society. He developed AMTHA for the benefit of these fragile populations.

Explore our website to discover more about our process and join us in making a significant impact with miniature therapy horses today!