The Shea Center hosted its second annual Equine Training with OC Fire Authority’s Urban Search & Rescue Team (US&R) with over 100 first responders on-site at our therapeutic horseback riding center. See the firefighters in action by watching the video below.
Four local Orange County, CA fire departments were on-site at The Shea Center for the three-day training which covered equine accident response and horse rescue harnessing techniques. While working with Shea therapy horses, these firefighters expanded their knowledge of horse rescue procedures, horse behavior, loading and unloading horses out of a trailer, and built skills with hands-on training.
Last year there were 7,490 wildfire incidents according to Cal Fire and with recent flash floods from winter storms, our first responders must know how to safely rescue and evacuate horses and large animals. San Juan Capistrano has California’s highest per capita ratio of horses to people, about 1 to 23. Thousands more reside in Orange County’s numerous equine communities like Nellie Gail, Orange Park Acres, Anaheim Hills, Coto de Caza, and Yorba Linda.
OC Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said, “Our commitment to providing exceptional emergency support services does not stop with the nearly two million people we serve or the structures in which they live and work. It also includes the pets, service animals, and livestock that bring tremendous value and joy to our communities, and we are proud to partner with The Shea Center to build upon that commitment.”
Founded in 1978, The J. F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center is one of the largest therapeutic equestrian centers worldwide. Utilizing 24 horses and the assistance of over 700 community volunteers, The Shea Center addresses 75 distinct disabilities through various programs, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, mental healthcare, and adaptive riding.
In 2021, OCFA rescued Choco, a Shea Center therapy horse who became trapped in San Juan Capistrano’s open space during a trail ride. OC fire officials used a helicopter to airlift Choco to safety after digging him out from under concrete and exposed rebar in an extraordinary and highly technical horse rescue.
In March of 2022, the first training of OCFA firefighters took place at The Shea Center over three days, with more than 100 firefighters and first responders in attendance.
