Finnley is a happy, smiley six-year-old who has been a client at The Shea Center for the past ten months. She especially loves riding Pixie—coincidentally sharing the same name as her kitty at home. Finnley experienced a traumatic birth that resulted in a lack of...
Tanner, now seven years old, has been a client at The Shea Center for three years. Born four weeks prematurely, Tanner’s mother, Courtney, knew during her pregnancy that something wasn’t right. Tanner was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy and hypotonia, which caused...
Amelia is an adorable four-year-old preparing to start transitional kindergarten next fall. On her first birthday, she experienced cardiac and respiratory arrest, triggering a genetic activation event that led to her diagnosis of a rare and progressive condition known...
Have you ever wondered how to become a therapist who uses hippotherapy in clinical practice? The steps below outline a common pathway to gain experience and mentoring to become a successful practitioner utilizing our favorite therapy treatment modality!
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...
Learn how Andrew benefits from both physical and occupational therapies at The Shea Center. Andrew became a Shea Center client two years ago. He attends sessions twice a week, once for physical therapy utilizing hippotherapy with therapist Matt Mitchell and once for...
Learn about Abhay's amazing progress and recovery from brain surgery. Eighteen months ago, with no previous symptoms, Abhay, age eight at the time, was unexpectedly diagnosed with a brain tumor. Immediately, the family left their home in Las Vegas to rush Abhay to...
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...
Randi Shannahan grew up in rural West Texas and received her Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Animal Science with an equine concentration from Texas Tech University. While in college, she volunteered at the Texas Tech Therapeutic Riding Center and became a...
Ryan is a cute 6-year-old girl diagnosed with right side hip dysplasia; her hip socket is shallow and the ball at the top of her femur slips out. Ryan’s hip dysplasia was not diagnosed until age three and a half. She then underwent three hip surgeries to make...