Meet the Experts
Loraine O’Keefe
CTRC Program Director
O’Keefe is the Program Director at the Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center and first began as a volunteer. She grew up in North Carolina and rode in the hunters and jumpers, a very competitive and subjective world. O’Keefe was a riding instructor in North Carolina but decided to take some time off after dedicating most of her life to the sport. She then moved out to Colorado and started as a volunteer at the center, became therapeutic riding certified and spent a few years doing that.
She became the Program Director after working as a volunteer and getting her certifications, but decided to take around nine years off after she had her children. O’Keefe couldn’t stay away from the center though, and returned as Program Director after her children had grown up. O’Keefe can be seen driving the John Deere tractor around the property, moving footing or fences and around the barn talking to the horses and participants. Her attention to detail and kindness for all make her such a vital part of the center’s team.
Loraine O’Keefe, photo courtesy of The Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center website.
Jessica Arts
CTRC Instructor
Arts has been an instructor at The Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center since 2020. She began at the center as a volunteer before she attended Colorado State University (CSU). At CSU, Arts studied therapeutic riding and obtained hands-on experience. She led a six-week veterans program, in which she invited veterans with PTSD and other conditions to be with the horses at their facility. Each week, she had participants record how they felt after being with the horses. The veterans reported feeling better and having a decrease in depressive thoughts. After the six-week program, their overall consensus was that being around the horses, learning what it means to take care of them, and feeling understood in return, facilitated fewer suicidal thoughts and actions.
After finishing her degree, Arts returned to the center and became an instructor. For her, it was a “full circle moment,” in that she first began as a volunteer and now works as an instructor. She teaches group lessons almost everyday and works hard to ensure participants have the best experience possible. Her knowledge of horses spans far and wide, and she is extremely caring when it comes to those she teaches.
Jessica Arts, photo courtesy of The Colorado Therapeutic Riding Center website.
Kristin Chisum
Lovelane’s Instructor Development Manager
Chisum has been with Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding since 1994. At first, she wanted to just be around the horses more after finishing up college, but ended up loving the people too. Chisum was a runner in college and studied biology at Princeton University. When she moved back to Boston, she became a licensed riding instructor and earned her masters degree in Communication Disorders. Her expertise in speech and language have helped countless families and participants. She is able to connect with riders in a way that is intangible, and her love for the animals does not go unnoticed.
Chisum rides the horses at Lovelane as well, as sometimes they need a workout to make sure they are ready and in a good mindset for their participants each day. She works with other staff to ensure that the program runs smoothly and that each participant has a unique, special and fulfilling experience. Giving people a space to feel comfortable and themselves is something that Chisum strives for.
Kristin Chisum, photo courtesy of Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding website.