PATH INTL CTRI STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
(VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATE
2025/2026
SECTION 1: CTRE EQUINE MANAGEMENT
CTRE 1.0 PATH INTL. STANDARDS
CTRE. 1.1: Know and Implement PATH INTL. Standards and their
interpretation for equine care, maintenance, and usage
Look at Equine Welfare and Management Standards
EQM6 Mandatory: Is there documentation regarding equine workload limits
that includes the following:
A written policy that sets a maximum limit for each equine’s working session
to no more than three continuous hours and workday to no more than six
hours?
Written records of the number of hours and types of sessions for each equine
per day?
CTRE. 1.2: Know and Implement PATH INTL Standards and their
interpretation regarding the use of safety equipment and adaptive equipment
Adaptive equipment must be safe and in good repair (*P14) well fitting and
considerate of the conformation of the horse (P15). Surcingle trees if they are
fixed should be fitted to each horse in- dividually much like a traditional
saddle. Surcingles with flexible trees or soft webbing should not cause stress
points or soreness for the horse.
Adaptive saddles should be screened, critically assessed for safety and
assessed for the impact on the horse both with and without additional weight
of the participant (P2). Conformation of the horse to be used with adaptive
tack should be taken into account when choosing equipment that may put
additional stress on the horse. Assessment of the equipment should be done
prior to the adaptive equipment being used with a participant.
,CTRE 2.0 BREEDS/COLORS/MARKINGS/PARTS OF THE HORSE
CTRE. 2.1: Identify an equine by age, color, and markings, breed
characteristics, height, and weight
Age can be identified by looking at teeth
CTRE. 2.2: Know the basic anatomic parts of the horse
CTRE 3.0: HORSE SENSES AND BEHAVIOR
CTRE. 3.1: Know the characteristics of the senses of the equine and how they
contribute to equine behavior
Know the characteristics of the senses of the equine and how they contribute
to equine behavior
CTRE. 3.2: Know the behavioral characteristics of a lesson ready equine
CTRE. 3.3: Know how the senses of the equine and equine behavior affect the
safety of the riding setting
CTRE 3.4: Identify stable vices, including cribbing, weaving, biting, kicking,
and wood chewing
A stable vice is an abnormal behavior by a horse or pony. Vices are considered
unhealthy behaviors and are usually caused by boredom, unhappiness, or
nervousness.
Cribbing
When a horse or pony grabs a solid object such as a fence or stall door with
his teeth, arches his neck and swallows in a gulp of air.
Sucking in a lot of air can cause colic (severe stomach discomfort) and
cribbing is destructive to property.
Most people believe endorphins are released during this behavior. These
endorphins give the horse a feeling of pleasure. Horse can become addicted to
this good feeling and will keep doing it whenever they are bored. Some people
believe digestive issues may also cause a horse to crib because cribbing
, produces extra saliva (spit) which can help with an upset stomach.
Cribbing is not a curable behavior, although you can help to stop a horse from
cribbing with a cribbing strap. A crib strap goes around a horse's throat and
keeps them from being able to suck in a big gulp of air. The strap should be
taken off the horse for at least an hour a day in order to air out the neck.
Weaving
Weaving is when a horse sways from side to side over and over, swinging his
head, and shifting from foot to foot.
Horses may weave due to spending too much time confined in a stall or pen. It
is mostly seen in nervous, stressed out, or high-strung horses. Boredom can
also lead to weaving.
Weaving in horses can cause holes in the stall floor. It can also wear down the
horse's hooves and loosen their shoes.
Weaving is a manageable vice that can be cured by providing more pasture
time with other horses. Also, installing a U shaped stall gate can help.
biting
Horse occassionaly may bite when they are groomed roughly, if their girth is
too tight, or if they are being harassed by other horses or people.
Horses that bite can cause serious injuries.
If possible remove the cause of the biting behavior. If a horse attempts to bite,
give him a short slap and say a loud NO!
Kicking
Lashing out backwards or sideways with the hind legs.
Horses may kick out as a reflex to having their legs touched, from fear of
rough handling, or to get rid of a threat or annoyance.
(VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS) LATEST UPDATE
2025/2026
SECTION 1: CTRE EQUINE MANAGEMENT
CTRE 1.0 PATH INTL. STANDARDS
CTRE. 1.1: Know and Implement PATH INTL. Standards and their
interpretation for equine care, maintenance, and usage
Look at Equine Welfare and Management Standards
EQM6 Mandatory: Is there documentation regarding equine workload limits
that includes the following:
A written policy that sets a maximum limit for each equine’s working session
to no more than three continuous hours and workday to no more than six
hours?
Written records of the number of hours and types of sessions for each equine
per day?
CTRE. 1.2: Know and Implement PATH INTL Standards and their
interpretation regarding the use of safety equipment and adaptive equipment
Adaptive equipment must be safe and in good repair (*P14) well fitting and
considerate of the conformation of the horse (P15). Surcingle trees if they are
fixed should be fitted to each horse in- dividually much like a traditional
saddle. Surcingles with flexible trees or soft webbing should not cause stress
points or soreness for the horse.
Adaptive saddles should be screened, critically assessed for safety and
assessed for the impact on the horse both with and without additional weight
of the participant (P2). Conformation of the horse to be used with adaptive
tack should be taken into account when choosing equipment that may put
additional stress on the horse. Assessment of the equipment should be done
prior to the adaptive equipment being used with a participant.
,CTRE 2.0 BREEDS/COLORS/MARKINGS/PARTS OF THE HORSE
CTRE. 2.1: Identify an equine by age, color, and markings, breed
characteristics, height, and weight
Age can be identified by looking at teeth
CTRE. 2.2: Know the basic anatomic parts of the horse
CTRE 3.0: HORSE SENSES AND BEHAVIOR
CTRE. 3.1: Know the characteristics of the senses of the equine and how they
contribute to equine behavior
Know the characteristics of the senses of the equine and how they contribute
to equine behavior
CTRE. 3.2: Know the behavioral characteristics of a lesson ready equine
CTRE. 3.3: Know how the senses of the equine and equine behavior affect the
safety of the riding setting
CTRE 3.4: Identify stable vices, including cribbing, weaving, biting, kicking,
and wood chewing
A stable vice is an abnormal behavior by a horse or pony. Vices are considered
unhealthy behaviors and are usually caused by boredom, unhappiness, or
nervousness.
Cribbing
When a horse or pony grabs a solid object such as a fence or stall door with
his teeth, arches his neck and swallows in a gulp of air.
Sucking in a lot of air can cause colic (severe stomach discomfort) and
cribbing is destructive to property.
Most people believe endorphins are released during this behavior. These
endorphins give the horse a feeling of pleasure. Horse can become addicted to
this good feeling and will keep doing it whenever they are bored. Some people
believe digestive issues may also cause a horse to crib because cribbing
, produces extra saliva (spit) which can help with an upset stomach.
Cribbing is not a curable behavior, although you can help to stop a horse from
cribbing with a cribbing strap. A crib strap goes around a horse's throat and
keeps them from being able to suck in a big gulp of air. The strap should be
taken off the horse for at least an hour a day in order to air out the neck.
Weaving
Weaving is when a horse sways from side to side over and over, swinging his
head, and shifting from foot to foot.
Horses may weave due to spending too much time confined in a stall or pen. It
is mostly seen in nervous, stressed out, or high-strung horses. Boredom can
also lead to weaving.
Weaving in horses can cause holes in the stall floor. It can also wear down the
horse's hooves and loosen their shoes.
Weaving is a manageable vice that can be cured by providing more pasture
time with other horses. Also, installing a U shaped stall gate can help.
biting
Horse occassionaly may bite when they are groomed roughly, if their girth is
too tight, or if they are being harassed by other horses or people.
Horses that bite can cause serious injuries.
If possible remove the cause of the biting behavior. If a horse attempts to bite,
give him a short slap and say a loud NO!
Kicking
Lashing out backwards or sideways with the hind legs.
Horses may kick out as a reflex to having their legs touched, from fear of
rough handling, or to get rid of a threat or annoyance.
