Twelve-year-old Georgia was diagnosed with autism and ADHD at the age of nine. When her mother, Jaymie, received the diagnosis, she knew immediately that The Shea Center was where she wanted to take her daughter for therapy. Unfortunately, there was a six-month...
Thirteen-year-old Dylan has been an adaptive riding client at The Shea Center for sixteen months. He is diagnosed with postural scoliosis, low tone, autism, and ADHD. According to his mother, Rebecca, riding at Shea has significantly improved Dylan's core...
Seventeen-year-old Ashlyn first became involved with The Shea Center as a lesson volunteer, a role that led her to see first-hand the transformative impact adaptive riding has on people with disabilities. Diagnosed with dyslexia and learning disabilities in second...
Originally from Wisconsin, adaptive riding instructor Sarina Dalton has been riding since she was eight and competed in International Buckskin Horse Association (IBHA) pleasure-riding horse shows during high school. Each year, she competed in local shows and the IBHA...
We may be biased but….horse camp is the best kind of camp! Our campers worked on different riding skills each day, and used all the skills they acquired on a trail course on the last day of camp. On the final day of camp they worked on their balance and motor planning...
Tobin, diagnosed with epilepsy, is six years old and has been a Shea Center adaptive riding client for a year. Adaptive riding lessons develop horseback riding skills in individuals with disabilities and aim for each client to reach their highest level of...
by Kelli Navarro, BS, ESMHL The Shea Center provides customized services for veterans and active-duty members of the Armed Forces. These services include family reunification, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, couples groups, adaptive riding, Equine Assisted Learning,...
Alex, age six, was diagnosed with autism at four years old and has been participating in adaptive riding at The Shea Center for six months. Alex was referred to adaptive riding by his neurologist because he has anxiety - the movement of the horse and the focus it...
Lizzy has been a client at The Shea Center since 2013, when she was 16 years old. Now, almost a decade later she is still riding every week. Today, Lizzy rides Oakley once a week in her Adaptive Riding lesson with Ellie, a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor...
Adaptive Riding allows access and opportunity for those with disabilities to participate, and learn riding and horsemanship skills while building independence, responsibility and confidence. Plus, it’s fun! Riding contributes to cognitive, physical, emotional and...