No description available.

(M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes special report entitled: Landscape design of the pathway. Includes bibliographical references (leaves.

No description available.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes special report entitled : Landscape design of the pathway. Includes bibliographical references (leaves. Also available in print.

The wars in Afghanistan (OEF) and Iraq (OIF) represent the most sustained American combat operations since the Vietnam War. A wealth of research has shown the frequency and intensity of exposure to combat experiences is positively correlated with risk for chronic PTSD and associated impairments in veterans, a “dose-response” continuum (Fischer, 2014; Hoge, Messer, McGurk, & Koffman, 2004; Maguen et al., 2015; Philips et al., 2017; Pitman, 2006; Ricks, 2004; Rona et al., 2014). Reported prevalence rates for symptoms of PTSD in OEF and OIF veterans vary, but researchers suggest 14% of treatment-seeking veterans and up to 21% of OEF and OIF veterans meet criteria for PTSD (Angkaw et al., 2013). The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD), community agencies, and private mental health providers strive to help veterans reintegrate into civilian life. Efforts have been made to reduce barriers to treatment by developing interventions more appealing to veterans. One such modality gaining traction and support is therapeutic riding (TR). TR teaches veterans about horsemanship, how to ride, and serves as a tool for connection, as well as, physical and emotional healing (Notgrass & Pettinelli, 2015). This study was designed to answer the following research question: How do OEF and OIF veterans diagnosed with symptoms of PTSD experience the use of TR as a tool for their recovery? The post-intentional phenomenology, was utilized to ascertain how four veterans participating in TR were changed by the experience. Intentionality promoted an understanding of TR through its emphasis on the connections made during their participation. Data was gathered using a whole-part-whole investigative approach, whereby, themes were explored separately then brought together as a whole (Vagle, 2014). The research question and sub-questions facilitated further understanding of TR and its utilization by OEF and OIF veterans in the domains of perceived personal change, social connection, mental and emotional wellbeing, and environment. There were eleven tentative manifestations of change and five influencing factors which emerged through data discovery. Constructs were illuminated and further explored. The exploratory research implications seemed to support previous findings, suggesting TR had positive effects on PTSD symptom recovery for OEF and OIF veterans.

The riding lesson situation is complex and dynamic. Riding instructors must look at both the horse’s and the rider’s actions in order to provide useful and relevant instruction. The aim of this study is to describe and understand riding instructors’ pedagogical practice when giving riding lessons. The theoretical basis for the study is Engeström’s model for studying activity. His analytical model consists of six interrelated ”knots”. The activity system is continuously active through contradictions between the knots, ”knotworking”. These contradictions can occur at four different levels. By studying them we can arrive at an understanding of the structure of an activity system, in this case riding lessons. Ten riding instructors were interviewed and a number of riding lessons were observed. In collecting data, it was important to capture the use of language in pedagogical terms. The themes that formed the basis of interviews and observations were the concepts of communication, feeling and communication of feeling, as well as the roles of the riding instructor, the pupil and the horse. When the activity model was applied to the data, a number of knots could be observed, with the riding instructor as the subject and the pupil as the object. For example, the tools were horses and instructions. Parents and the riding hall were identified as rules and other riding instructors were the community. Finally, young people assisting the instructors and the pupils with grooming were identified as division of labour. Many of the statements and actions observed during riding lessons can be summarised in that they reflect a focus on the horse. Some riding instructors state unequivocally that what is most important to them is what is best for the horse. I call this an ”activity system with horse focus”. Another variety of statements and actions from the instructors shows an orientation towards the pupils. The instructors say that they have ambitions to support pupils in their learning. This is what I call an ”activity system with pupil focus”. Finally, there are statements and actions by instructors that can be explained by such things as ignorance, indifference or incompetence. One riding instructor says that there is a considerable amount of routine in her lessons. I call this an ”activity system with routine focus”. In this activity system the objects and goals often change places, unlike what happens in the other two activity systems. For different reasons, occasionally the routine focus switches into the other two activity systems. Contradictions were seen at four different levels within the three activity systems identified, e.g.: (1) riding instructors wanting to communicate with their pupils about the feeling of riding but lacking the words for it; (2) parents expecting that their child will get the opportunity to ride at every lesson and riding instructors feeling a pressure to meet these expectations even though they believe that the pupils need theory as well as practice; (3) the instructor wanting to improve her teaching but being inhibited by old traditions; and (4) modern teaching methods having developed within the general school system that require pupils to assume a degree of responsibility for their own learning. This stands in contradiction to the controlled riding lesson where pupils do not have much scope for acting on their own. Riding instructors give priority to the pupils or the horses to different degrees. They often act more or less subconsciously when they give pupils instruction or give them feedback. The horses are at the centre of the riding school and the riding lesson. The horses are a large part of the riding instructors’ everyday life and influential on their thinking about riding instruction. From an educational perspective, however, it would be desirable for instructors to place pupils and their learning at the centre. The need for and importance of pedagogical and didactic education for riding instructors ought to be emphasised. It is a challenge to develop riding lessons with an emphasis on optimising the conditions for pupils’ learning without taking the focus away from the horse and its wellbeing.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Kentucky, 2008. / Title from document title page (viewed on February 3, 2009). Document formatted into pages; contains: viii, 72 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-71).

Autism is a disorder that has increased in numbers and prevalence within today’s society. Though no cure has been found, recent studies have focused on different therapeutic intervention techniques offered to autistic individuals, including the use of Therapeutic Horseback Riding. This study analyzes the relationship of therapeutic horseback riding on gross motor function in children with Autism. Four children participated in a ten week previously established therapeutic horseback riding program at French Camp, Mississippi. Gross motor function was assessed before and after five riding sessions by recording performances of eleven skills from Motor Skills Inventory (MSI). Only two participants completed all riding sessions and MSI assessments to be eligible for this study. Statistical analysis was conducted using Friedman’s Two Way Analysis of Variance by Ranks. There were no significant differences in the assessments before/after the riding sessions as well as the entire period of the ten week program.

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This thesis contains three essays on topics in agricultural economics. The research is focused on the economic effects of different trade policies applied within the US, Canada and the European Union. <p>Essay one evaluates the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the single EU common market. The degree of integration of these three countries in agricultural trade in the EU has not previously been evaluated. Trade theory suggests that one of the outcomes resulting from a regional trade agreement is increased market integration among markets in member states. The cointegration of the commodity prices across countries is tested using time-series techniques. This method is important as it can be applied to questions relating to globalization. <p>Essay two examines the biofuel industry in Canada and US from a trade perspective. The development of a large market for biofuels is judged to have two main benefits for North America: environmental benefits in Canada and energy security in the US. A theoretical model is developed using the option value theory to determine whether the two distinct motivating factors can lead to different levels of optimal subsidies in each country. While the development of a biofuel industry is viewed as extremely important in a number of countries, the trade laws on subsidies with respect these products lacks clarity. This research represents an important step in understanding the economics of biofuels and the situations where trade disputes can be expected to appear in the future.<p>Dumping is the subject of the third essay where the strategies of firms in the face of an anti-dumping action are examined using game theory. The possibility of free riding in case of an anti-dumping petition is investigated in two situations: the benefits of the anti-dumping case are considered either a public good or a joint product. The second situation can be applied only for US, because of so-called Byrd Amendment. The theoretical model developed represents an important contribution to trade policy and it can be easily applied when examining the effects of other trade or domestic policies.