Our Shea Center facility dog, Emerson, recently retired from his job of daily interaction with our clients. Our new facility dog is Diamond who comes from Canine Companions for Independence. She is a Labrador born on July 12, 2018, and her handler is physical...
Why we love him: Preston volunteers as a leader and sidewalker in lessons and in the feed room, filling daily supplement bags for all the horses. He also finds time to help out the volunteer department with general office work. Path to the Shea Center: Preston was...
Why we love her: Marilou is a leader and sidewalker, and this session she added temperature check/check-in to her job duties. “I love being a sidewalker and leader, but have come to appreciate greeting our riders as they try to hold in their excitement and enthusiasm...
Alessandro P., age 7 and a Shea Center client for 4 ½ years, has Mowat-Wilson syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes global developmental delay. Alessandro’s physical therapist, Matt Mitchell, explains Alessandro’s therapy, “Alessandro benefits from a...
Why we love her: Sharon wears many volunteer hats at The Shea Center: Leader, sidewalker, barn crew, groomer/bather, and military program volunteer. Whew! Pre-pandemic, she participated in our large-scale events, including Back to Shea Day, Foster Family Day, and EFMP...
Our handsome new helmet cabinets are a result of the hard work of Shea Center volunteer Zachary S., who designed and built the two cabinets for his Eagle Scout Project.Zachary, a member of Boy Scouts of America (BSA) troop 774, began volunteering at The Shea Center...
During the pandemic, when The Shea Center was closed for lessons, Oliver B. and his physical therapist, Matt Heubert, spent their time together in virtual telehealth lessons. Ollie has a rare genetic disorder and continuing with telehealth therapy was important to...
by Jennifer Lee, OTR/L Proprioception is an important sensory system that allows us to detect our body position and movement through space from input to our muscles and joints. Engaging in heavy work such as pushing, pulling, tugging, and towing against weight or...
Vic has been a farrier (horseshoer) at The Shea Center for 14 years and does specialty shoeing for some of our horses. By frequently consulting with The Shea Center's vet, Dr. Markell, Vic has been able to meet the needs of our horses that have hoof-related issues....
The barn is a fantastic place for Shea Center clients to work on physical therapy exercises and activities! The horse provides clients balance challenges and engages the sensorimotor system. Physical therapists at The Shea Center also provide clients with therapeutic...