Sometimes it takes nothing short of a magical creature to heal the wounds of someone who has had a traumatic experience. And these wonderful miniature horses are just that.
These wonderful, kind animals work at Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, a non-profit organization that employs these tiny equines to help thousands of people, including the survivors of the Sandy Hook shooting and the victims of the 2013 Oklahoma tornadoes.
Prancing into the history books is Magic, a black miniature horse with a white spot on her snout, who has been dubbed one of the top 10 heroic animals in history by Time magazine. And the reason?
“Magic went to visit a patient who had lived in an assisted-living facility and hadn’t spoken to anyone during her three years there. But the moment she laid eyes on Magic, she said, ‘Isn’t she beautiful?'”
Once a horse lover, always a horse lover.Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses #ThrowbackThursday
Posted by Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses on Thursday, January 8, 2015
“The activities director was so surprised to hear the woman speak that she began to cry. She told the woman that she loved her. ‘I love you too,’ was the answer, her first sentence to another person in all that time,” Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, co-founder of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, told The Huffington Post
Miniature horses are tiny at just two-and-a-half feet tall, and their calm, friendly nature makes them an instant hit with both young and old.
“While a large horse can be intimidating to a small child or a fragile senior, the miniature horses are easier for them to trust and befriend,” Garcia-Bengochea told The Huffington Post.
Gentle Carousel is based in Florida, but the organization also operates in New York, California, and Greece. It’s run entirely by volunteers.
If you’re moved by the work of these animals, click here to see how you can help. And make sure you follow them on Facebook!