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 thoughts and needs.

According to Paige, Bill’s mother, when on the horse, all of Bill’s anxiety and excess energy goes into enjoying the horse’s movement. When his physical needs are met, he can stabilize his body and make progress in improving his expressive language. When Bill began at Shea, only about 50% of his language could be understood by others. Because he couldn’t express his thoughts, he was frustrated, had low self-esteem, and often had meltdowns.”

Now, his speech can be understood nearly 100% of the time, and he even tells jokes. Bill’s therapist, Terri Hutchison, says, “Bill loves to tell stories, and now he is understandable.” Bill comprehends his progress; his confidence is growing, and he is more receptive to communication. He now interacts with other kids and is forging new friendships at school. In addition to riding at Shea, Bill participates in swimming and karate.

Paige had difficulty finding a place that would serve Bill because his disability was not extreme. That turned into a fortunate circumstance because Paige remarks, “Riding at The Shea Center has been a blessing for Bill. Shea is a heavenly place, and the staff is great.”