Two miniature therapy horses, ‘Magic’ and her buddy ‘Takoda,’ won the hearts of the crowd at The Villages Polo Club on Sunday. The little creatures are from Gentle Carousel, a non-profit equine-therapy charity program.
Mini-therapy horse, Magic, a 90 pound female, and ‘Takoda,’a younger male beginning his two-year training program at UF Shands Hospital to become a therapy horse, were led around by trainer Jorge Garcia-Bengochea and several Villagers, including Fernandina Villager Tommi Chappell,, and Judy Husar of The Villages Horsin’ Around Club. Takoda is a Sioux name meaning ‘caring for people.’
Teams of Gentle Carousel’s 37 tiny therapy horses visit over 35,000 adults and children with physical and emotional disabilities each year — Â inside hospital settings, hospice programs and assisted living facilities. They also interact with families who have experienced traumatic events. For example, they have benefited victims of the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut; worked with victims of child trafficking rings in Washington, D.C and the emotionally and physically traumatized survivors of the Moore, Oklahoma tornadoes. Returning military veterans with physical wounds and those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cheer up when they see the tiny horses.
“When a small but ‘real’ horse enters a hospital room of an ill child or military veteran, it is usually a magical experience,” Debbie Garcia-Bengochea said. “First there are smiles of recognition and acceptance. Then the little horses get to work in tandem with occupational, speech and physical therapists to calm and relax patients, and aid them in their rehabilitation.
How do the mini-horses help? Their help may be as simple as inspiring a patient in a rehab gym to reach out an arm for the first time since an accident; or inspire confidence walking on a ramp or staircase with a patient re-learning to walk. They may walk alongside patients who are learning to use adaptive devices, like walkers or wheelchairs, or just be there for patients to pet or hug. “Magic actually has hundreds of e-mail pals who have met her and want to keep tabs on her travels,” Debbie said.
Gentle Carousel program leaders believe successful therapy horses are born with a calm, patient disposition and innate abilities, but they still must go through a two year basic training program. They get used to the sights, sounds and smells of hospitals by working in an actual hospital setting. They learn how to walk carefully so as not to disturb delicate hospital equipment, and practice riding up and down elevators. They are trained to handle daily situations which might spook ordinary horses with gentle love and fearlessness.
The miniature equines are also utilized in a literacy program called ‘Reading is Magic,’ where real horses visit inside schools, ‘at risk’ youth facilities and libraries, to inspire young readers and help bring their books and stories to life.
“We took horses to ‘Zoo Atlanta’ recently,” Debbie reported, “and they made friends with baby pandas and even nuzzled a Sumatran tiger through a glass wall. When the tigers, who likely never saw horses before, saw the mini-equines, they came up to the glass. We just had a new horse born into our program who only weighted six pounds.”
At half time between Sunday’s two polo matches, player Paige Boone brought her polo pony out to meet the tiny horses. The animals thrilled the crowd by nuzzling and becoming instant friends.
Gentle Carousel is an all volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit charity. For more information, visit www.Horse-Therapy.org or www.facebook.com/TherapyHorses. A telephone contact number in Gainesville is 352 226-9009. [email protected].
