Miniature horses make good therapy animals for the very reason that they’re small, and so not as intimidating to kids (or adults) as regular-sized versions.
The 30 or so therapy horses of Seven Oaks Farm may be little, but they have a big impact. Owner Lisa Moad brings the horses around to more than 50 care facilities and numerous Ronald McDonald houses to bring comfort to the residents and guests, and joins with several police departments to help with community and anti-bullying efforts.
“The kids come out, and they see little horses, and that’s exciting for them,” Moad says. “They just spend time brushing their hair and putting bows on the animals, talking, and then they get to giggling. For them, it’s a short break of time when they can just be kids again.”
Moad’s venture started when she saw an online video of a woman in hospice care. The woman had been a horse owner and, in her final days, wanted to see a horse again. Moad already owned some minis at the time, and figured — correctly, as it turns out — there probably were others in similar situations. She contacted a nursing home, and they invited Moad to bring her miniature horses to visit the residents, and the family has been at it ever since.
At Covenant Village, a physical therapy rehabilitation center in Green Township, Karen Seimer, director of activities, appreciates that the little equines are so even-tempered.
“I have a lot of residents who can get out in their wheelchairs to see the horses. We gather in a group and pet the the animals and spend time with them,” Seimer says. “But if there is somebody who loves animals and is bed-bound, Lisa will go with me and take the horses right to the bedside, and they’ll nuzzle up to someone’s face. The residents love it — they’re so excited and joyful.”
Adds Moad: “The seniors are the people we see the most, and when we go into the senior homes or the Alzheimer’s units, the reception we get and the brightness in their lives is significant.”
Moad also takes the miniature animals to a variety of community events with the Cincinnati Police Department, one of several police departments with which she works.
“What’s nice about these therapy horses is that they’re small,” says Roberta Utrecht, a patrol officer with the department. “They are the perfect size, so they’re not intimidating, even though there’s a police officer standing next to them.”
Most of Moad’s minis are rescue horses. Some have pedigrees and have won national honors, but come to Seven Oaks Farm when their owners can no longer care for them.
They’re an interesting mix of characters. A pair of mini mules graze in the pasture along with Patches, who has one eye — “kids with issues can identify with a one-eyed horse,” Moad says. Another of the horses, Denver, is coated with glitter and sports a unicorn horn for visits to Ronald McDonald houses. Then there’s Wendy, who’s everyone’s favorite, since she’s teeny, even by miniature horse standards.
Training and caring for all those little animals takes work. Moad and her husband, John, who are members of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative in Oxford, have five adult sons, each with significant-others, and all 10 help. Work starts in the wee hours of the morning, to care for the horses and do all of the things that living on a farm requires. Moad also supervises the farm’s many volunteers, including groups of students from nearby Miami University, who earn service-learning hours. It’s also good work for groups of developmentally disabled people, and for high school students looking for community-service hours.
“A lot of people just want to work with horses,” Moad said. “Some people have a fear of horses, and this is their gateway into being with a big animal. For a lot of people, it’s their time to be out and enjoy being with the horses. We always need help; we need people just to pet the horses and love on them.”
Celeste Baumgartner is a freelance writer from Hamilton.
