J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center Plants More Seeds of Growth with White Barn Group.

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. -- White Barn Group has been named agency of record for the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center in San Juan Capistrano. The White Barn Group will provide branding, strategy and strategic alliance services to the leading therapeutic riding center on the West coast.

Based in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., the J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center recently broke ground on a major renovation project of their entire south county riding center. To meet a rapidly growing need for their services, the new equestrian facility -- scheduled to be completed in early 2007 -- will allow the Center to expand its current services, programs and ridership. The construction of a state-of-the art equestrian facility will include a 20,000 sq. ft. main, all-weather covered arena, an 8,712 sq. ft. all-weather covered arena, a 4,620 sq. ft. dressage arena, a sensory integration trail, parent and family viewing areas. A program and education building is anticipated to break ground in 2008. When completed, this final phase of the renovation project will contain parent education rooms, occupational, speech and physical therapy areas, main board room, meeting/teaching rooms, and volunteer training and education classrooms.

"We are very excited to assist this incredible organization in creating the leading therapeutic riding center in the world," said Tim Hackbardt, Principal Farmer. "The Shea Center has an impressive track record led by an inspirational executive staff and donor community. From the therapeutic horse-related programs they provide locally for their clients to the therapeutic instructor training they provide to riding instructors around the world, the work they are performing continues to border on modern day miracles."

The Shea Center performs a unique form of therapy for clients with over 40 disabilities, including hippotherapy treatments which are administered at the Shea Center by a licensed physical therapist. Because a horse's pelvis moves three-dimensionally like a human pelvis, hippotherapy simulates the human walk better than any other piece of rehabilitation equipment. Therapeutic riding helps clients learn to take their first steps, adapt their gait as they walk across changing ground coverings, learn movements needed for simple activities of daily living and improve their speech.

About Shea Center

Established in 1978, the non-profit Shea Center was originally named after its founder, Fran Joswick, who started a therapeutic riding program with one therapy horse, one rider and two volunteers. The Shea Center marks its 28th year with more than 225 clients per week, 24 horses, 200 volunteers and a six month waiting list.

The Shea Center is designated by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (NARHA) as a "premier center" -- the highest possible level of accreditation. It is one of the very few fully-accredited therapeutic riding centers in the United States that offers full-time hippotherapy and therapeutic sport riding programs.

About White Barn Group

The name White Barn Group is the basis for the philosophy of the firm. It stems from the way Principal Farmer, Tim Hackbardt, was raised in rural farm life. Whenever something needed to be fixed on the Hackbardt family farm they would head to the "White Barn" and find new parts, spare parts, nails, screws, wire, rope and other creative solutions to solve the problem. Hackbardt and his long time partner and Chief Plow Boy, Joe Senger, have replicated this work ethic and use of unconventional solutions in their marketing careers to turn companies around, get them to the next level and position them for the future. Today they have developed their own farm-like cooperative of experienced creative problem solvers to help give businesses and organizations the tools, equipment, feed and supplies needed to reach their goals.