Every child wants a pony for Christmas.
When a real horse walks into the hospital room or bedroom of a sick child it is always magical experience but during the holidays it is even more special. Therapy horses Peanut and Cloudburst dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus are visiting children inside hospitals and in hospice care from now until Christmas. They will be joined by other tiny therapy horses (only 19-24 inches tall) dressed as elves and nutcracker horses. Each horse has an iPod so holiday music follows them from room to room.
Known as “The Santa Ponies”, they will also work with sheriff’s officers reaching out to children in a high crime neighborhoods, visit children spending the holidays in homeless shelters, help with a food drive in a shopping mall and perform on stage at a concert to benefit children with cancer.
The Santa Ponies are members of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity. The team of 26 therapy horses visits over 10,000 adults and children each year. They can be seen in the current national issues of National Geographic Kids magazine (in 60 countries/20 languages), Tea Time magazine, and Farm and Ranch Living magazine.
Debbie Garica-Bengochea
Education Director
Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses
www.Horse-Therapy.org
352-226-9009
An all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity