“Safety first” is one of The Shea Center’s primary mottos. From the first day a horse arrives at the Center, it begins to learn “The Shea Way” of horse control methods. This creates a safe and consistent practice for the handling of the horses by our staff,...
Brynn W., age 8, has always been a healthy kid who loves to play soccer. Her parents, Jen and Jeremy, became concerned when after Brynn’s 7th birthday party she developed shortness of breath. Later that night, when Brynn woke with shallow, rapid breathing, they were...
Now that the holiday season at The Shea Center has come to a close, we are looking forward to some big things happening in the new year. One of these is our annual grassroots fundraising campaign, Drive to Ride. For those of you new to The Shea Center, this month-long...
Early in January, before the winter session begins, The Shea Center staff readies the facility for a day of fun. Back to Shea Day is an open house for our clients, their families, and the community. At the open house, horseback riding, horse interaction, a petting...
Shea Center intern, Ainsley Berringer, is an occupational therapy student from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology from the same university and is currently working toward her Master of Occupational Therapy...
In order to become an instructor in a therapeutic/adaptive riding program, there are a number of requirements that must be met to ensure safe and effective teaching for riders with disabilities. At The Shea Center, all instructors are credentialed as Certified...
Our turn-out team is a new volunteering position our Volunteer Services Manager, Christina Lee, has arranged, to be sure our herd receives their well-deserved “time off” from their busy work schedules. These volunteers have excellent horsemanship skills and feel...
Come One, Come All, to The Shea Center’s Annual BBQ and Family Faire! We are inviting you to attend the 43rd annual BBQ at The Shea Center on Saturday, September 19. This is the Center’s largest fundraising event of the year, bringing in over 1600 community members,...
by Matt Mitchell, PT, DPT The J. F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center is focused on high-quality, client-centered care. We constantly seek to improve the lives of people with disabilities through therapeutic, horse-related programs. We so strongly believe in this ideal...
At 12.2 hands, Boog is the perfect size for The Shea Center’s smallest riders, and he enjoys his job helping little ones improve their core strength, balance and confidence. While short in stature, he has a wide base of support which creates a stable platform for...