There’s a new horse in the barn for The Shea Center’s therapeutic riding program! Now what? Before a potential Shea Center therapy horse candidate even sets hoof on the property, a lot of time and effort goes into assessing whether the horse will be a “fit” for our program.

An initial horse information form is reviewed for the following criteria: Type/breed of horse, age, size, health, soundness, temperament, quality of movement, prior work life, and level of schooling. If a video of the horse is available, Shea Center staff will review it, and then a Shea Center staff member will visit the horse and take it for a “test ride.”

Once a horse is deemed appropriate and arrives on the property “on trial,” a series of checklists are considered to determine if the horse is suitable for our program. These lists include ground manners in and out of the stall and around people and other horses; acceptance of being groomed, tacked, and lead with and without a rider and sidewalkers; and tolerance of the various toys, objects, sounds, and movements a horse might encounter in a therapy riding session. The horse is led in and out of the mounting ramps and introduced to various medical appliances such as walkers, wheelchairs, and crutches. The horse is lunged, long-lined, ground driven, and ridden by staff.

At The Shea Center each horse is allowed 90 days to acclimate and pass the checklist criteria. We can usually tell within the first 30 days if a horse will succeed in our program. Why so much effort? Because our horses are with us for life, and we want to be certain we have the best herd possible for our clients and their needs.