Hospital patients and first responders in LA County experience happiness due to the presence of mini therapy horses
Mini-Therapy Horses Bring Healing Joy to Hospitals, First Responders, and Schools
In a heartwarming display of comfort and joy, the Mini-Therapy Horses team, led by the expressive Black Pearl, has been making a significant impact on hospital patients, first responders, and school children. This unique group of miniature horses, numbering nine in total, has been visiting various hospitals, including the Veterans Hospital and Cedars Sinai Medical Center, since their inception in 2008.
Founded by Victoria Nodiff Netanel, the Mini-Therapy Horses team is a nonprofit organisation that aims to bring joy and support to those in need. Netanel's dedication to her cause is evident in the positive reinforcement and love that she instills during her training sessions, which the horses graciously reciprocate to everyone they meet.
One of the most notable members of the team is Black Pearl, a 17-year-old mare known for her musical skills and expressive nature. In a remarkable incident, Pearl was seen moving her muzzle across a piano keyboard, bringing smiles to everyone, including a patient who was waking up from surgery. This heartwarming moment was captured on video and has since gained significant attention on social media, with nearly three million likes and over 30 million views.
Netanel's training extends beyond simple tricks. She has been teaching Valentina, a one-year-old mini horse, how to ride a skateboard. The team's repertoire is diverse, ensuring that their visits are always a source of surprise and delight.
The Mini-Therapy Horses are meticulously trained and desensitized to hospital environments, medical equipment, and unfamiliar noises. They adhere to strict hygiene protocols, such as being bathed before visits, having clean hooves, and wearing protective booties, to ensure the safety of the patients and the horses themselves.
Beyond hospitals, the Mini-Therapy Horses extend their support to first responders and school children by appearing at community events. Here, their small size and unique traits, like Black Pearl’s keyboard playing, draw attention and spark engagement, promoting emotional healing and joy. They have worked with prestigious institutions like UCLA hospitals, Cedars-Sinai, and veterans' hospitals, and have also provided mental health support for survivors of traumatic events, such as the Las Vegas shooting and wildfires.
The Mini-Therapy Horses' work is grounded in research indicating that interacting with therapy animals helps lower stress hormone levels, reduces blood pressure, and releases endorphins that improve mood, thereby supporting patients’ and community members’ emotional and physical well-being.
In conclusion, the Mini-Therapy Horses, with Black Pearl as a standout performer, bring healing joy and comfort through carefully trained, hygienic visits that engage and soothe hospital patients, first responders, and children in schools by offering a unique, gentle distraction and emotional connection. Their work is a testament to the power of animals in healing and bringing joy to those in need.
[1] Mini-Therapy Horses. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.minitherapyhorses.org/ [2] Netanel, V. (2021, March 15). Mini-Therapy Horses: Bringing Healing Joy to Hospitals, First Responders, and Schools. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mini-therapy-horses-bringing-healing-joy-hospitals-first-netanel/ [3] Pearl the Mini-Therapy Horse Plays Piano to Wake Up Patient. (2021, February 18). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r8fzM_Fwg4 [4] Mini-Therapy Horses Cheer Up Firefighters After Wildfires. (2021, January 20). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s31eOI87Uxw
- The Mini-Therapy Horses team, including Black Pearl, brings a unique blend of joy and therapeutic benefits to various settings, such as schools, hospitals, and first responder centers, providing mental health support and boosting health-and-wellness by interacting with these miniature horses.
- Beyond their hospital visits, the Mini-Therapy Horses group, led by Victoria Nodiff Netanel, extends their services to diverse communities, using science-backed therapeutic practices to help individuals cope with traumatic events, demonstrating the communities' need for mental-health resources and the effectiveness of therapies-and-treatments involving animals.
