HETI Task Forces
Our Task Forces are run by Executive committee members and committed HETI members who are experts within the field of Equine Assisted Services. Each of these task forces work on projects that relate to the HETI Strategic plan and aim to improve the services HETI offers to its global community, as well as improve the knowledge and best practice of Equine Assisted Services throughout the world.
If you are interested in joining a task force, please email the HETI office ([email protected]) or the task force chairs for more information.
Task forces are only open to HETI members.
Research
The HETI Research Task force aims to encourage and embed a research culture within HETI. They are striving to encourage robust evidence-based research which will strengthen the field of Equine Assisted Services internationally. This task force works closely with the HETI journal editorial team. For more information about the HETI journal, click here.
Chairperson: Alexandra Stergiou (Greece)
Email: [email protected]Task Force members:
Dr. Anne Barnfield (USA)
Prof. Selcuk Akpinar (Turkiye)
Emily Kieson (USA)
Henrika Jormfeldt (Sweden)
Ines Pereira Figueiredo (Portugal)
Sanna Mattila – Rautiainen (Finland)Ethics and Equine Welfare
With the kind permission of Cristina Wilkins, the HETI Ethics and Equine welfare task force are adapting domain 4C – Interactions with Humans to make it more specific to Equine Assisted Services. For more information click here.
Chairperson: Carlos Ganzabal (Spain)
Email: [email protected]Task Force members:
Rita Seery (Ireland)
Harriet Laurie (UK)
Anita Shkedi (Israel)
Dr. Anne Barnfield (USA)
Alexandra Stergiou (Greece)
Dna Wells (New Zealand)Membership and Marketing
The HETI Membership and Marketing task force aims to improve the HETI membership experience, as well as exploring ways to promote HETI, the work that it is doing in the field of EAS and its values. They have recently worked on changing the HETI Membership categories, costs and benefits.
Chairperson: Vera Lantelme-Faisan (Czech Republic)
Email: [email protected]Task Force members:
Harriet Laurie (UK)
Renate Deimel (Austria)
Kiginu Nakata (Japan)Educational Webinars
The HETI Webinars task force has been created in response to member requests to provide educational webinars, as well as a platform for members to share their work and meet each other. This task force is currently working to create a schedule of webinars for 2026.
If you would like to submit a webinar proposal, click here.
Chairperson: Beth Macauley (USA)
email: [email protected]Task Force members:
Vera Lantelme-Faisan (Czech Republic)
Dawn Neil (UK)
Carlos Ganzabal (Spain)
Rita Seery (Ireland)
Anton Saratov (Russia)
Kiginu Nakata (Japan)
Terri Brosnan (Ireland)Terminology
The HETI Terminology task force are working on establishing a service provider matrix which aims to further clarify terminology used in the field of Equine Assisted Services, as well as provide a self reporting tool for practitioners to share the work they do.
To read the press release regarding HETI Terminology, click here.
Chairperson: Sanna Mattila Rautiainen (Finland)
Email: [email protected]Task Force Members:
Harriet Laurie (UK)
Vera Lantelme-Faisan (Czech Republic)
Alexandra Stergiou (Greece)
Nicolas Emond (France)
Vera Horne (Brazil)National Associations and Registers
The HETI National Associations and Registers task force aims to support countries in the creation of National Associations and Registers. We have gathered coutries who are in the process of creating national associations, as well as countries who have already established associations and registers to meet every few months to discuss progress and challenges.
Contact: Kirstin O’Neill (Ireland)
Email: [email protected]Task Force members:
Vera Lantelme-Faisan (Czech Republic)
Audrey Darby (Ireland)
Maria Liga (Greece)
Alexandra Stergiou (Greece)
Anna Collins (UK)
Nicolas Emond (France)
Selcuk Akpinar (Turkiye)
Carlos Hernandez (Malta)
Valeriia Bashtannik (Ukraine)
Henrique Rodrigues (Portugal)Sports in EAS
The Sports in EAS task force are currently working on connecting with organisations, such as FEI, to collaborate on providing educational seminars seminars and training programmes tailored for equestrian trainers working with riders with disabilities. We also seek to encourage riders and their coaches to get involved in sports.
Chairperson: Marianna Grammatikaki (Greece)
Email: [email protected]Task Force members:
Alexandra Stergiou (Greece)
Selcuk Akpinar (Turkiye)
Gustavo Dos Santos (Uruguay)
Laurence Ikan (Israel)
Vera Lantelme-Faisan (Czech Republic)
Ines Pereira Figueiredo (Portugal)
Marketa Pisova (Czech Republic)
Mihalis Kalarakis (Greece)Online Platform
This task force has recently been established to researh and create a multi-lingual online platform for HETI members and others within the field to connect with each other and discuss various topics.
Chairperson: Anton Saratov
Email: [email protected]Task Force members:
Alexandra Stergiou (Greece)
Selcuk Akpinar (Turkiye)
Vera Lantelme-Faisan (Czech Republic)
Jojo Wong (Hong Kong)
Renate Diemel (Austria)
Nicolas Emond (France)
Lucia Zhou (China)