There was a special visitor to cheer up patients and their families at the Kentucky Children’s Hospital.
It was a horse. And not just any horse. Magic is a trained miniature therapy horse, smaller than most dogs and complete with wishing glitter that clings to the patients when they give her a hug. Little Brooklyn was head over heels. She took Magic’s lead with a little adult help and walked her down the hall, with no though of her IV stand trailing behind her “That’s my friend!” she cooed, grinning from ear to ear.
Judith Martin is the Childlife Coordinator at the hospital. She said Magic and some of her stable mates visit once a year. And each visit changes the entire mood of the patients and their families. “She kind of will lift their spirits a lot for this time period.” And I pointed out that it’s not often you see a horse ride up an elevator. Martin said “there’s a few out there that would do it but not very many. And this horse is specially trained to be able to do that type of thing. To go into the hospitals and visit with the families and the kids.”
Magic is being featured this year’s BryarFest at the Kentucky Horse Park.