The Shea Center Rider Story- Colt

Colt, 14, is social, caring, outgoing, and respectful. When he sees a veteran, he has no hesitation about walking up, shaking hands, and thanking that person for their service. Ten years ago, Candace, Colt’s mom, read an ad in OC Family magazine about The Shea Center’s military program for persons with disabilities. She was excited to think that Colt, diagnosed with apraxia of speech, could ride horses and receive therapy at the same time. Candace still keeps the ad on her refrigerator as a reminder that the family’s lives began to change when Colt became the first client to benefit from our military program. His dad, Frank, recently retired from the Navy after a 24-year career.
Apraxia is a deficit that affects the ability to accurately motor plan the movements required to speak. When Colt began riding at The Shea Center at age four in 2009, he was afraid to speak and could only form three or four word sentences. Terri Hutchison, Colt’s speech therapist comments, “Using a horse was a way I could decrease the oral demands and continue to work on speech intervention in a positive way. She trained Colt in conversational speech and he quickly progressed to speaking full sentences and holding conversations.
Two years ago, Colt was in The Shea Center’s annual BBQ riding demonstration happy and proud to show off his abilities, and this year he was the BBQ’s featured rider story.
Film by Evan Walker: evanwalker.tv/
To support our mission of improving the lives of those with disabilities through horse-related programs, The Shea Center holds two major fundraisers each year. One of these events is the Shea Center Annual BBQ & Family Faire where 1,500+ guests gather at The Shea Center for an exciting evening which includes rider demonstrations, country faire games for the whole family, silent and live auctions, a Sponsor Saloon, a delicious BBQ dinner provided by our event partner Montage Laguna Beach, the client “Parade of Stars,” and live country music for dancing. All proceeds from this event support Shea Center programs and services. During the evening, this video was shown to share with the guests how the activities at The Shea Center affect the lives of our riders.
The Shea Center is dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities through therapeutic horse-related programs and serves over 1,000 participants each year, providing more than 13,000 hours of client services annually. Utilizing 23 horses and the assistance of more than 800 community volunteers The Shea Center is able to address 75 distinct disabilities through a variety of programs that include physical, occupational, and speech therapies.
Accredited at the “premier” level by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH Intl.), The Shea Center is internationally recognized for its excellence in therapeutic programs. It is also is a therapeutic riding training facility drawing interns and students from around the world.
To learn more, volunteer with us or make a donation please visit www.SheaCenter.org
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[@GGAA0102]

I remember 4-year-old Colt! He was one of the first riders I ever worked with and a ray of sunshine then AND NOW!

[@coltfaze599]

Thank you. 🥲

[@Restbygait]

Thank you for your story and the experts you interviewed. We believe wholeheartedly in equine-assisted therapies to aid those in the autism, ADHD, PTSD and other special needs communities. That is why we invented REST: a mechanical seat that replicates the calming, soothing, three-dimensional gait of a walking horse. You can't replace the important personal relationship between humankind and horsekind, but we engineered a therapeutic device that simulates the benefits of hippotherapy so it can be successfully deployed in schools, professional offices, and at home.