While swimming with pigs in the Bahamas will all at once lift one’s spirits and inspire creative ideas for breakfast, anyone old enough and lucky enough to have witnessed the full arch of My Little Pony will know that horses are the hay for a healthy soul.
The key word being, “Little”, that is.
Gentle Carousel is a company based out of Florida the breeds, carefully trains, and then transports miniature horses, along with their ridiculous cuteness and infinite love, to “where it is needed most.”
Each year, the Gentle Carousel team and their petite ponies visit over 45,000 people who have suffered or are suffering traumatic experiences; tornado survivors, children with cancer, witnesses and first responders to mass shootings, and orphans in Greece to name only a few. The charity now has five locations and about twenty five four-legged philanthropists. And yes, some of them have perfect tiny horse names like Toby, Magic, Little Prince, and of course, Homer.
They also have an award-winning literacy program that inspires at-risk youth to engage more with literature by incorporating therapy horses into reading sessions and “bring books to life.”
Which is brilliant. If I was allowed to play with a tiny horse named Wakanda, you could probably even convince me to read the screenplay for Seabiscuit.
Gentle Carousel is a charity and does need help. According to their website, the average monthly cost to properly care for a therapy horse is $250, or $3,000 for the entire year. Currently they have nine horses still in need of sponsorship, including Cloudburst, Rainbow, Hamlet, and Catherine.
Most of us, at some point or another, have wished for a pony. Especially one that fits in your carry-on. And this might be the best way to make that wish come true…
Photo: Gentle Carousel
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