Congratulations to Tony Bogle our new volunteer of the month! Why we love him: Volunteer Services Manager, Michele Gingras, calls Tony our ‘on-call sidewalker’. “You see him here every week; he can be put in any spot with any client and does a great job. When he’s not...
The Shea Center has a select group of exceptional horses labeled as “staff only.” What does this mean? These horses, due to their unique personalities, receive specialized, one-on-one training from highly skilled staff or volunteers. This focused attention helps them...
What are side reins, and why do we use them? Side reins are a training aid used when riding or lunging a horse. Lunging is a training technique that involves moving a horse around a handler in a circle while the handler is attached to the horse with a long lead rein,...
The Shea Center is a learning facility that takes on select students in occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and mental health. Students in these fields require hundreds of clinical hours to fulfill their degree and mentorship to build...
The horses at The Shea Center are vital in helping clients achieve their goals. Expenses are required to help keep the herd in excellent condition. To this end, we rely on generous donors to support our horse sponsorship program. The funds are used to acquire...
Did you know that horses have around 205 bones and 700 muscles? A unique fact about horses is that their eyes are set on each side of their head, allowing them to see about 350 degrees. Due to this anatomical distinction, a horse's depth perception is less than that...
Naomi is a joyful 3-year-old preschooler who has been participating in physical therapy using hippotherapy at The Shea Center for a year. Born with vocal cord paralysis, Naomi was also later diagnosed with Poland syndrome, a condition marked by missing muscles and...
The health and happiness of our horses are essential for providing safe and effective equine-assisted services for our more than 1,400 annual clients. Thank you to our 2024 horse sponsors for making this possible. Platinum Champion Sponsors Amerman Family...
Happy Fall, y'all! 'Tis the season for our annual pumpkin patch contest! This year, clients and volunteers picked pumpkins to take home, decorate, and submit for the contest, while guests enjoyed a haunted stroll through our spooktacular haybales and cast their...
Approximately every 4-6 weeks, the farrier visits The Shea Center to trim and shoe some of our equine members. Horseshoes, typically made from aluminum or steel, protect the horse's hooves and offer additional support during work. A horse's hoof is...