Miniature Horse Therapy - Little Things That Bring Us Joy

Sometimes, someone is just placed into your life at just the right moment. You know: the stars align, what is meant to be will always find a way, the universe willed it… whatever saying that tickles your fancy. A friend had called me, having just picked up a mini of her own, to inform me that there was a horse I just HAD to meet. So meet him I did and it didn’t take long negotiations were underway and I was sold.

Party (appropriately named given that he was born on breeders birthday), came to us as a weanling and we got to work right away! Initially, Party was trained using the most qualified trainer I knew of for a therapy horse… my 2 year old daughter.

Fun Fact: Weanlings are horses that have been weaned from their mother around 5-6 months old. Even as a weanling, Party was about the size of a medium dog!

That’s right.

Think of the average two year old… did the image of a rambunctious, loud, excited, and unpredictable child enter you mind? How best to measure the reactions of a horse by throwing them in the same space as a toddler? When I saw that my 2 year old could walk him on a lead rope, I knew that he was special.

Jokes aside, it is important to note that there is no actual certification in Canada for therapy horses. That said, there are a number of trainers who dedicate their time and energy to working with all kind of animals to get them to a place where they can act as a therapy animal in unfamiliar environments. It is important to train them to respond (or not respond) to stimulus that they would otherwise never know: a team of screaming toddlers, automatic doors, elevators, cars driving by, dogs barking, sudden movements, different smells… just to name a few!

While there is no formal certification, what really sets therapy animals apart from a pet is insurance. You know when you sign up for insurance and they want everything from you and your left kidney? Companies can be picky about insuring an animal and it is on the onus of the handler to prove that the animal has adequate training to reduce risk.

So, with insurance in hand, it is time for Party to PARTY.

We started with taking Party to Bass Pro Shop with the kids to get their pictures done with Santa (Party fit very comfortably in the back seat, might I add). As expected, Party was the center of attention! Now, you expect joy and laughter in a place filled with toys and a pop up Santa’s workshop but there was a certain elevation that Party brought to the room. I swear smiles were bigger, laughs were louder, and hearts (after I am sure hours of shopping) were just a little bit lighter.

Party is a very special horse with a very special gift… and EVERYONE needed it.

Now, I don’t want to negate the impressive work that my 2 year old did in helping to train Party, but formal training credits are due to a fantastic local trainer who recognized that Party is a natural. This trainer also recognized our bond and knew that it was ideal for this kind of work.

And we got to work.

At the young age of 5, Party has certainly gotten around: stores, daycare, seniors homes, birthday parties, even walks down main streets! Though the venue changes, the reactions are always the same: pure joy and happiness. It is the most rewarding experience to watch Party work - he makes people smile for a living.

This is Party’s job and I am the lucky person who gets to bring him to do it.

Would you like to book a visit with Party? Or better yet, have him visit YOU? Please reach out!

Want to see Party in action? Check out this Global News piece on Party’s visit to a local seniors residence!