Tiny hooves, big impact: Mini therapy horses bring joy, comfort to LA hospital patients

CALABASAS, Calif. - As the tiny horse makes its way through Shriners for Children Medical Center, there’s a sense of magic in its path. Children and staff light up as they get to pet Blue Moon, one of the nine therapy horses from Mini Therapy Horses, based in Calabasas. The nonprofit, founded in 2008, takes the tiny animals to hospitals, schools, veteran centers—anywhere they are called to help.

As members of the LA Mayor’s Crisis Response Team, the highly trained animals offer resources and support to survivors of traumatic incidents around the city. "We have traveled all over," said Victoria Nodiff-Netanel, President, and Executive Director of the program, who becomes teary-eyed when explaining how healing the interactions between people and horses can be.

The impact is evident not just in Nodiff-Netanel's emotions but also in the heartfelt stories shared by those touched by the program. One father revealed how Blue Moon transformed his child's physical therapy experience, making it not only more enjoyable but also more effective. His child, born without a femur and ankle bones, is now running around using a prosthetic and dreaming of becoming a basketball player.

(FOX 11)

The therapy horses display a remarkable ability to adapt to different situations. They are playful and active when aiding children in learning to move, yet quietly gentle when offering comfort to those confined to hospital beds.

(FOX 11)

While Mini Therapy Horses work with a diverse range of young people, their longest-running program has been at the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Hospital, where they have been making weekly visits since 2008.

If you want to find out more about the program, go to www.minitherapyhorses.com. They are always looking for volunteers and benefactors (they may be tiny, but they still eat like—well, horses!). It’s a great option for a charitable tax deduction before the end of the year.