Meet Sean. His experiences spanned 20 years in the Marine Corps, from combat in Afghanistan to teaching at the US Naval Academy and managerial roles in auditing. After leaving the service, he faced challenges with processing his emotions and struggled to develop...
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...
Five-year-old Delphine is a happy little girl who loves to ride Ginger. She looks forward to coming to Shea all week and on riding days, has all her gear on early, and rushes out the door with her helmet ready to go. Delphine loves riding in the arena, on the trail,...
Five-year-old preschooler Bill rides Murray and has been a Shea Center speech therapy client utilizing hippotherapy as a treatment tool for eight months. Bill hit all his milestones as a baby until he was about 18 months old and began to have trouble expressing his...
Written by Ryann Smith Groseclose * This story was orinially shared in the 2023 December issue of Ladera Ranch Neighbors magazine. Meet Dan and Carina Gregersen. This friendly and outgoing couple met through mutual friends in Denmark in 2002. Dan had just graduated...
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...
Rev. Monsignor Art, or as we call him, Father Art, has been riding at The Shea Center for 12 years. He served as a pastor and rector at the Mission Basilica for over a decade and is currently working on his mobility and core strength while riding therapy horse Tess...
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...
Joel’s big smile shows how much he loves riding at The Shea Center! In transitional kindergarten, he is an active five-year-old who also has fun doing karate and swimming. He has been a client in occupational therapy utilizing hippotherapy for a year. During this...
Gabriella, age 4, doesn’t stop smiling while riding Huckleberry. When she arrived at The Shea Center two years ago, she was timid and had weakness in her right side. Once Gabriella started participating in occupational therapy utilizing hippotherapy, her core strength...