Page 76 - The Mini Horse Magazine 2023 No 1

Gentle Carousel therapy horses go through a A documentary film about Magic is called Hero
two year basic in-hospital training program but Horse: A Magical True Story. It will be at film
are always learning new skills. The horses work festivals across the United States this year. Magic
with medical professionals in oncology units, arrived at the film’s premiere in a limousine
intensive care units, and with occupational, wearing a tuxedo to walk the red carpet. Magic's
speech and physical therapists as part of the friend Don, a 99 year old World War 2 veteran
treatment for patients who have suffered who appears in the film joined her on the red
THERAPY HORSES Therapy horse Magic has visited Congress in Magic is also an official police officer with the
strokes, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries,
carpet.
amputations and burns.

Ocala Police Department in Ocala, Florida. She
Washington, D.C., Arlington National Cemetery
was sworn in by the Chief of Police and wears
and the 911 Memorial in New York City. She
her uniform scrim when she is on duty. She brings
helped teach a class at Columbia Medical School,
was invited to meet the twin baby pandas at
serving the community including in administrative
Zoo Atlanta and has been on the concert stage love and comfort to those who work hard each day
offices, 9-1-1 Center, and the records department.
in Nashville, Tennessee. She also visits schools to do reading programs
with police officers. Ocala is the perfect place for a
Magic performed in The Magic of the Nutcracker little police horse. It is called “The Horse Capital of
on stage with the Dance Alive National Ballet for the World,” and has more than 60 different breeds
children who are deaf or blind. They experienced of horses and a wide variety of equine disciplines.
the all-time family favorite by sitting right on
the stage, feeling vibrations through the floor Magic’s brother Scout is another Gentle Carousel
and speakers, and touching the costumes and
dancers to see the art through their fingertips. therapy horse with an official job. He is a Florida
State Park Junior Ranger and works in a state park
doing reading programs with children.

Gentle Carousel’s Reading with Horses literacy
programs, with teams of volunteer educators
inspire young readers and “bring books to life".
The horses of Gentle Carousel work inside
schools, libraries, with mentoring programs, at
literacy events and at education resource centers
in high crime neighborhoods with a focus on at-
risk readers.

Individual Gentle Carousel therapy horses have
been featured in many of the children's books
used in the program, by different authors and
publishers. After children read a book, the actual
character from the story visits the classroom to
bring the book to life.

All of the therapy horses of Gentle Carousel have
their own special talents and real life stories. Learn
more about Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy
Horses in the bestselling book Mini Horse, Mighty

Magic HH Hope: How a Herd of Miniature Horses Provides
Comfort and Healing (Revell Publishing).

76 | Miniature Horse Magazine • Issue 1/2023