HETI Wisdom Board

Dr. Brown is now retired and is Professor Emeritus of Equine Studies at Centenary University, Hackettstown, NJ, USA. Born in England, Octavia Brown emigrated to the US in 1964.  She earned her Master of Education from Harvard University and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2008 by Centenary University. A founder of the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (now PATH International) in 1969, she is a PATH Master Instructor and a certified Special Olympics coach. 

Dr. Brown founded the first New Jersey EAS program and was co-founder of the first state organization in the US for EAS.  Dr. Brown is past president of the FRDI (now HETI) and has presented at numerous conferences nationally and internationally. 

She is the author of numerous papers and textbook chapters on EAS. She has served on numerous committees and task forces locally, nationally and internationally.

In 1998 she received PATH’s James Brady Award for Lifetime Achievement in Therapeutic Riding.  Among other awards, in 2022 she received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Equus Foundation and US Equestrian Federation.

Born in 1945 in Salzburg, Austria, Gundula Hauser has dedicated her life to education, therapy, and equine-assisted services. She began her career with teacher training for primary education in 1964 and taught in a small village, Leogang, from 1964 to 1966. Seeking to expand her skills, she pursued studies in physiotherapy from 1966 to 1968. Her commitment to special education became evident as she helped establish a school for children with physical and mental disabilities in Tirol, Austria, from 1968 to 1970.

In 1970, after her marriage and relocation to Vienna, Gundula continued her education, specializing in teaching children with disabilities, including those with learning difficulties and behavioral challenges. During this period, she also welcomed the birth of two children in 1972/73. Following a brief hiatus from teaching between 1973 and 1976, Gundula returned to the field, where she worked as a teacher for children with disabilities until 1990.

In the 1980s, Gundula’s passion for equine therapy blossomed. She completed education in hippotherapy in 1982 and remedial educational vaulting and riding in 1986. From 1984 to 2000, she served on the executive board of the Austrian Association for Therapeutic Riding (Österreichisches Kuratorium für Therapeutisches Reiten), including four years as president.

Gundula’s vision for equine-assisted services led her to establish the association “Österreichische Initiative – Pferde helfen Menschen” in 1990, where she has served as president since its inception. This association was awarded recognition by the Vienna government. From 1990 to 2000, she was the headmistress of a special school for children with mental disabilities in Vienna’s 2nd district.

Her work extended beyond Austria. As head of equestrian sports for Special Olympics Austria from 1991 to 2012, she organized numerous national events with international participation. In addition, she trained as a counselor from 1996 to 1999, further expanding her expertise in therapeutic services.

Upon retiring from the school system in 2000, Gundula focused on managing two riding stables for therapeutic riding. In 2003, she was elected President of the Federation for Riding for the Disabled International (FRDI), now known as HETI, a position she held until 2009. She also passed over one of her therapeutic riding stables to the association e.motion (now Lichtblickhof) in 2004, and the second to the association “Alisequus” in 2010, remaining president of both associations.

Gundula Hauser’s lifelong dedication to therapeutic riding, education, and the support of children with disabilities has left a lasting legacy in Austria and internationally.

Sanna is a certified physical therapist with a specialization in Equine Facilitated Physical Therapy (EFPT). With over 30 years of experience running her own business, she has been a pioneer in providing Equine-Assisted Physical Therapy (EAPT) services for the Finnish government and local hospital districts. Her expertise lies in sports medicine and, in particular, biomechanics, where she combines her deep understanding of human and equine movement with technical research capabilities.

Sanna holds a shared doctoral position at the University of Eastern Finland, focusing on equine-assisted therapy and its impact on pain management. Her contributions to research and education in the field have been widely recognized, including her editorial work on the book “Ratsastusterapia”, which was selected as the Science Book of the Week by the Finnish Medical Association. This book has been partially translated into English under the title “Equine Facilitated Therapies – in Finland.”

Sanna has been instrumental in integrating hippotherapy into the Finnish healthcare system. Since 1990, she has been negotiating with national authorities to make hippotherapy a treatment covered by national insurance, ensuring that it is accessible to individuals with special needs. Her work in pain management through hippotherapy is particularly notable.

An active contributor to the global equine-assisted therapy community, Sanna has served HETI in various roles, including Board Member, Journal Editor, Vice President, and, most recently, President. Additionally, she was the President of the Finnish Association for Equine Facilitated Therapy from 2008 to 2023.

Sanna has been a key figure in the development of Finnish and international curricula for Equine Facilitated Therapy and Hippotherapy. She has been teaching since 1990 and has shared her expertise across Ireland, Greece, Germany, Russia, and more, while presenting at numerous HETI Congresses. Her presentation at the Swedish Physiotherapy Conference earned her a prestigious stipend, further highlighting her contributions to the field.