Hippotherapy is a therapy-based intervention conducted by licensed professionals such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, or speech-language pathologists. The movement of the horse is used as a treatment tool. The therapist directs the horse handler and...
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!
In equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) clients work on improving their quality of life by working towards a variety of goals. These could include improving communication skills, setting and maintaining boundaries at work or school, learning healthy coping skills to...
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...
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...
Stand with Shea raises money needed to keep The Shea Center running. Initially launched during the pandemic in 2020 to help sustain our essential services, this annual campaign funds operations that ensure access to our life-changing programs. Demand for these...
Speech Language Pathology focuses on improving an individual’s communication skills to their fullest potential. At The Shea Center, we partner with Life Spirit Speech, a third-party contractor that we work with to provide Speech Therapy utilizing the horse’s movement...
At The Shea Center, our services fall under two main categories: Therapy services utilizing hippotherapy and adaptive riding. Hippotherapy is the purposeful manipulation of equine movement to achieve therapy-directed goals. At Shea, our licensed therapy team is...
Often people are surprised to learn that therapies using horses benefit children with autism. Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction, problems with verbal and non-verbal communication, and unusual or repetitive...
During the past 43 years, The Shea Center has earned an international reputation as a leader in the field of therapeutic riding, but did you know that the Center also offers internships to graduate students pursuing degrees in physical and occupational therapy as well...