After serving six years and completing three deployments to Kuwait and Afghanistan, Travis Mossbarger left the Air Force 13 years ago. At first, the transition to civilian life seemed smooth. He enrolled in college, where he earned a degree in web and graphic design and graduated with honors. He also connected with a local band that helped him get his foot in the music industry. Three years ago, he left his regular job to launch an audio production company. Today, the business is thriving, providing sound services for events throughout Orange County.

Over time, however, the transition became more challenging. Struggling with PTSD, Travis began self-medicating with alcohol. His relationships with family members suffered as they didn’t understand his triggers and often gave him space rather than support. He found himself isolated, dealing with flashbacks, anxiety, and a growing loss of self-confidence.

Two years ago, Travis decided it was time to seek help. He began meeting weekly with a therapist at the Vet Center in Mission Viejo, where he first learned about equine assisted services. Having only ridden a horse once before, he wasn’t sure what to expect. But when he arrived at The Shea Center and climbed into the saddle, he discovered a sense of peace. “It was just the horse and me,” he recalls.

“At first, I was nervous to work with my Shea Center therapist, Leeanna Rice. But she understood my emotions and earned my trust. That helped me continue learning to ride and spend time around the horses.”

Travis knew he needed to reconnect with himself, rebuild his confidence, and learn how to self-regulate. Through riding, he gained valuable insight into his emotions. “Sitting on a horse and feeling frustrated taught me that I don’t need to be challenged all the time,” he says. “I started paying attention to my feelings. My parents began asking about the horses, and those conversations helped me reconnect with them. As I became less frustrated, my relationships with my brother and friends improved.”

Travis stopped drinking and began rediscovering himself. The horses helped him better understand and manage his emotions. “The horse was attuned to the chaos inside me—my family relationships and my own internal struggles,” he says.

During his military service, Travis worked in logistics, coordinating the movement of personnel and equipment around the world. He was also responsible for reviewing the death certificates of more than 300 fallen service members and helping bring them home to their families—a responsibility that left a lasting emotional impact. At the same time, his grandfather was dying, and he found himself overwhelmed by loss without knowing how to process his emotions.

“Participating in Shea’s equine assisted programs has helped me understand why I feel the way I do,” Travis says. “The horse has taught me to listen to myself and my feelings and helped me rebuild important connections.”

After completing his sessions with the Vet Center, Travis didn’t want to stop riding. He wanted to continue developing his skills as a horseman, connect with other veterans, and strengthen his interpersonal skills, so he joined Shea’s Cavalry Training Program. The Cavalry Training Program (CTP) is for veterans who want to continue their horsemanship training and become skilled rider/trainers who help prepare some of our newer and greener horses for work in the hippotherapy program.

For the past six months, Travis has been riding Sunny, a horse whose personality he has grown to love.

“Sunny has taught me confidence and how to be okay with myself. Riding has helped improve my posture and reduce my pain. I would not be where I am today without this program. When I’m riding, I’m on a ‘horse high’—everything feels right with the world. I walk through the gate, and the rest of the world and my problems sort of disappear.”

Travis hopes to encourage other veterans to seek help and discover the benefits of programs like The Shea Center’s Military Program.

“I want to help other vets and support the program however I can. But first, they have to realize they need help. When many veterans leave the military, they don’t know what to focus on or how to create purpose for themselves. The transition starts at Shea. It’s a place where you can find yourself again and build a good life. I’ve found a sense of purpose, and it started here at Shea.”