Home

Magic named by TIME /CNN one of History's Ten Most Heroic Animals

Testimonials

Frequently Asked Questions

Gentle Carousel Needs Your Support

Links To Our Sponsors

Upcoming Events

Gentle Carousel Awards and Good News

AARP's Most Heroic Pet In America

Gentle Carousel in Magazines

On Television, Film and Radio

Gentle Carousel in Newspapers

Meet Our Therapy Horse Team

Horse Costumes

Movie Star Benji Teams Up With Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses

  Gentle Carousel and Martha Stewart

               A Visit From National Geographic

Prancing With The Stars

Magic on NEWSWEEK/DAILY BEAST Ten Most Heroic Animals

READING IS MAGIC at Schools

READING IS MAGIC Horses

READING IS MAGIC at Libraries

READING IS MAGIC Authors

READING IS MAGIC Bringing Books To Life at Literacy Festivals

Smallest Horses In The World

Becoming a Therapy Horse

Home Sweet Home

Magic is a Power Of One AMERICANTOWNS HERO

Princess Tea Parties

Magic of Horses

Sundance Star of Jason and Elihu

Elephants, Zebras and Gentle Carousel

Our Rescues and Therapy Friends

              Tiny Horses of Distant Thunder Ranch

Magical Moments Fashion Show

Magic Horses Poem

Therapy Dog Henry's Newspaper Column

Holiday Memories

Contact Us

Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity.

Your donations are tax deductible. Help us grant wishes, make memories and bring a little magic into the world.

Gentle Carousel Inc.

P.O. Box 358844

Gainesville, FL 32635

Phone: 352-226-9009

MiniHorseTherapy@att.net

Rainbow in a huddle with two time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Phil Simms.

Hugh Jackman talks about Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses on stage during his amazing Broadway show.

"Keep up the wonderful work you do. I often tell people that Lassie was the first therapy dog--the first to be allowed in hospitals more than 50 years ago!"

Jon Provost, Appeared as Timmy Martin on Lassie

Cloudburst wins Martha Stewart's Annual Halloween Photo Contest! Martha talked about Gentle Carousel on her website and Twitter. Thank you Martha!

Cloudburst on People Magazine website.

"...Gentle Carousel, you are wonderful, gentle, caring people! "

Marlo Thomas,Actress, producer, best selling author, four-time Emmy winner and activist for children's causes

A photo of Peanut and Aladdin were on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and her website home page. Who doesn't love Ellen!

Canine movie star Benji working with Magic.

"What they are doing is just so incredible. They are making a difference. These people are the real deal. They are down there in the trenches doing it."

Joe Camp, film writer, producer, director, bestselling author and man behind canine superstar Benji.

Rainbow with THE DUKES OF HAZZARD star Tom Wopat.

Sundance reading at a Boys and Girls Club with former NFL and University of Florida quarterback Doug Johnson for an Associated Press photo and literacy poster.

Gentle Carousel was selected a charity partner in Disney's volunteer program "Give a Day. Get a Day."

As Seen in:

"Your Reading Is Magic program and volunteers are heroes every time they walk into a school or library. Using little miniature horses to inspire young children to read is most creative. Congratulations on your wonderful charity, spirit and service to your community."

William J. Bennett, Former Secretary of Education

James Gurney, Best-selling author and illustrator of the Dinotopia book series.

"Gentle Carousel... Thank you for all of your hard work!"

Joan Lundon, Journalist, author and television host

Magic with four-time Olympian and ten-time US Female Equestrian Athlete of the Year, Karen O'Connor.

Magic with David O'Connor, president of the United States Equestrian Federation, Olympic gold medalist and Pan American Games and World Equestrian Games medalist.

"Reading Is Magic!

Every child you inspire to read is a life forever changed. Thank you for that and for bringing books to life...It can take you from outer space to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Either way, the journey is magical.

...Wow. Love those little horses... Great job you're doing. I'm proud of you."

-Homer Hickam, #1 New York Times Bestselling author and NASA engineer

"What you have to get across is that these are highly trained horses. They go into an environment, a situation, circumstances where only a trained horse such as this can navigate himself... They seem to have an innate sense of how to go to the person they are there to comfort."

Ilene Silverman, Executive producer and host of the The Ilene Silverman Show.

"...I think that the use of horses is wonderful for children with self-regulation and attachment issues (the classic problems with so many children in the CPS system as you are aware)...Keep up your work. With Respect"

Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.Senior Fellow
The Child Trauma Academy

"...I just wanted to take the opportunity to write you a letter expressing my amazement with your miracle miniature horse "Magic". As I read about all the miraculous things that have happened in her presence, I was absolutely stunned. It is amazing that despite the modern marvels of medicine and how much that field has advanced in my lifetime, that sometimes there remains an unexplained element to health and recovery that is covered by miraculous creatures like your horse..."

Senator Steve Oelrich

"Magic and Gentle Carousel, Inspiring children to read is magical. You are making a difference!"

Chris Soentpiet, Acclaimed children's book author and illustrator (Thank you for the beautiful artwork you donated to help Gentle Carousel's Reading Is Magic!)

"My own daughter, who has Down Syndrome has been touched by Magic. I have been able to see first hand what these animals can do just with my own child...This program benefits so many different population bases. They can reach the elderly, the terminally ill, children with developmental disabilities, children with needs in reading...there are just so many opportunities to reach so many people in need..."

Lance Block, Chairman for the Governor's Commission on Disabilities

"What 'Reading Is Magic' does for kids by going into schools and igniting excitement for reading a story is beyond compare. Keep the hoof beats going."

Carl Joseph, author and Hall of Fame athlete

"What an honor and thrill to have Gentle Carousel's Sundance as a riveting character in JASON AND ELIHU."

Shelley Fraser Mickle, Award winning author and National Public Radio commentator

Sundance smiles for a fan then kisses one of his photos in the novel JASON AND ELIHU as an autograph.

"You have a wonderful program. Thank you for bringing joy to children... Keep reading! It is magic!"

Anna Grossnickle Hines, Author and illustrator of over 50 children's books.

"...Thank you for all the work you do...Reading is Magic!"

Linda Sue Park, Bestselling author and Newbery Medal Winner

Magic Named Most Heroic Pet In America

by AARP

Sometimes magic really happens.

A heroic pet is one that "has significantly improved or saved a life". Ten finalists were selected from across the country by AARP the Magazine as the "ten most heroic, original and inspiring" pets in America. Magic was chosen from the finalists as the Most Heroic Pet in America.

Magic's story has now traveled around the world in magazines and newspapers from the United Kingdom to New Zealand, Argentina to Pakistan, the Soviet Union to Thailand and North Korea.

Magic was in the May/June and the November/December 2010 issue and the of AARP The Magazine

What makes Magic heroic? Magic has touched many lives and been part of many miracles but this is the story that caught everyone's attention.

Photos from the Ocala Star-Banner.

While a reporter was taking photos of a therapy horse visit, a woman who had not spoken since she arrived at the assisted care facility three years earlier began talking to therapy horse Magic. "Isn't she beautiful" were her first words. "It's a horse". The activities director began to cry and told the woman she loved her. "I love you too," the woman answered...her first full sentence to another person. Six months after Magic's first visit the woman is still talking!

Activities director Linda McSorley responds to hearing Kathleen Loper speak to Magic after not speaking to anyone for the three years she had lived in the Hampton Manor assisted living facility.

Ann Marie Malave

Regional Activity Coordinator and Community Liaison, Hampton Manor

"There�s not a word to even describe it. It�s more of a feeling when you see them interact. It just can bring tears to your eyes.

We had a resident who did not speak. And the horses came in and for the first time she spoke words. Everybody cried. It was just the most touching, heartfelt experience I ever had. You can�t even put a word on it. When you see something like that happen, somebody who has not spoken in years, and this horse, this beautiful creature comes in, and the residents petting and holding and hugging and then speaks words. Everybody cried. It was wonderful.

They�re the bridge. They connect our residents with maybe a memory, a feeling, something that they�ve done in their life. It�s just such an experience. There�s no words to describe it.

That was a miracle...

They donate their time, their expense, their volunteers to come and share with us and change the lives of the residents that live here.

They spread a little bit of Magic in everyone�s lives when they come and it�s donated."

Magic giving her own interviews!

Zirgi spēj palīdzēt vē�a slimniekiem

Horses are able to help cancer patients

Svētdiena, 4. aprīlis (2010) 00:19

Miniatūrais zirdziņ� Magic kļuvis īpa�i iemīļots Floridas slimnīcās un veco ļau�u pansionātos dēļ savas mistiskās spējas palīdzēt nedziedināmi slimajiem. Miniature horse Magic has become especially popular in Florida hospitals and old people's homes because of their mystical ability to help the terminally ill.

Magic ir četrus gadus veca ķēvīte ar zilām acīm. Magic is a four-year-old ķēvīte with blue eyes. Miniatūrais zirdziņ� ir viens no īpa�ās ārstniecības/terapijas programmas �Gentle Carousel� dalībniekiem. Miniature horse is one of the special treatment / therapy program "Gentle Carousel 'players. Amerikas Pensionāru asociācija (AARP) 2009.gadā mazo zirdziņu ir atzinusi par ASV dro�sirdīgāko mājdzīvnieku. American Association of Retired Workers (AARP) in 2009 the small horse is found on the U.S. dro�sirdīgāko pet.
Ārstniecības programmā iesaistīto zirgu galvenais uzdevums ir maigi pieņemt pacientu da�ādās mīlestības izpausmes. Medical program of the participating horses main task is to gently take the patients in the various manifestations of love. Terapijas zirgi, kopā ar pacientiem, brīvi staigā pa ārstniecībai paredzētajām telpām, radot pacientos neaizmirstamas psiholoģiskas un fiziskas sajūtas. Therapy horses, together with patients free to walk through to treatment rooms provided for patients by creating memorable psychological and physical sensations. Terapijas moto ir: �Mazie zirdziņi ar lielajām sirdīm�! Treatment with the slogan: "Small horse with big hearts"!

2009.gadā vidēji 4000 pieaugu�o un bērnu, kuriem bijusi nepiecie�amība pēc palīdzības, ir tiku�i iesaistīti īpa�ajā ārstniecības programmā. In 2009, an average of 4,000 adults and children who had a need for assistance, have been involved in the specific treatment program.

Do You Believe in Magic?

What is magic? Is it a sleight of hand card trick? Is it a spell cast upon a character in your favorite cartoon? Magic means different things to different people.

In High Springs, Florida, Magic comes in the form of a jet black, blue-eyed miniature horse recently named the Most Heroic Pet in America by the American Association of Retired People (AARP). Whether you are two or 102, this Magic is something we all can believe in.

Magic is part of the team of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy horses that visit children and adults in hospitals, hospices and at their homes in the northern Florida area. The horses will also travel further for Make-A-Wish requests. Owned and operated by Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochea, Gentle Carousel has been transforming the lives of all they visit.

Debbie and Jorge originally got involved with horse therapy as a way to work with their foster and adopted children. What started out as therapy on a personal level has turned into the Gentle Carousel program of today. As word spread of their work with at risk and abused children the requests for visits began to rise. This interest in a horse therapy program is what spurred the official creation of Gentle Carousel Inc, in 2001.

Today Gentle Carousel features 26 miniature horses in its non-profit, volunteer-based program. There are no paid staff positions at Gentle Carousel; everything from photography to serving on the Board of Directors is done on a volunteer basis. But when you see the smiles on the faces of children and adults who receive therapy visits, who needs a paid position?

Unlike other horse therapy organizations where participants go to a destination to ride the horses, Gentle Carousel brings horses to people. But that�s not the only difference; all of the horses in the Gentle Carousel program are under 30� tall, with many around 27� at maturity.

According to Debbie, �All our horses must have two blue eyes and the more dramatic their markings or color the better.�

As you can imagine finding just the right horses to be part of the therapy program is no easy task.

Aside from being breathtaking in a small package, small size is very important when it comes to visits. The therapy horses must be able to navigate around medical equipment in patients� rooms and along the hallways of hospitals and hospices. They must also be able to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on different surfaces from carpet to tile and ignore distracting sights and sounds.

Becoming a therapy horse is hard work!

In order to get potential therapy horses prepared for anything that might come their way, Gentle Carousel starts the training process early on.

Debbie explains, �We breed a few horses at home and also work with local breeders, so it makes it easier to start �imprinting� at birth.�

Imprinting is a way to desensitize the foal to human interaction from the beginning. As soon as the foal is born a handler touches him/her all over and begins introducing them to strange sights and sounds.

She continues, �We want the foal to experience sensations he/she will experience as a therapy horse and accept it at an early age before fight or flight instinct takes in.�

This intensive training program typically takes two years. However, it�s important to remember even though the process starts at birth, learning never truly ends. There is always something new to expose the horses to. Once the training ends, the visits begin for Gentle Carousel horses. In 2009, Debbie and Jorge were able to bring the Gentle Carousel experience to over 4,000 individuals.

According to Debbie, �Every visit is different, but they all bring a little magic into someone�s life.�

The visits can be modified to meet the needs of the visit participants. However, no matter what the visit is like the main goal is always to cheer people up and give them hope.

Prior to arriving for a visit to children, Gentle Carousel volunteers always read a special poem about �Magic Horses� written by Debbie. The poem talks about magic horses that have blue eyes and are sprinkled with fairy dust.

�All of our therapy horses have blue eyes and we make sure they have �fairy dust� sprinkles for each visit,� explains Debbie.

Whether it�s fairy dust or a costume, the horses aren�t opposed to dressing up if it will make a child�s day. Recently a little girl in hospice requested the Gentle Carousel horses join her and her friends for a tea party. Outfitted in tuxes handmade by volunteers, the horses joined the sick girl and her friends and cousins, ages three to six, who were sporting magnificent princess dresses for a tea party of a lifetime.

For some a visit by Gentle Carousel can be the highlight of their lives. This was the case for a six year old boy who had spent his entire life going from hospital to hospital. When the horses came to visit him, he spent the entire time hugging them and laughing.

With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face his mother said, �He�s never had a happy day before today.�

Many of the children who get a visit from Gentle Carousel horses have never touched a horse before. However, their small size and winning personalities make it so no one is afraid of them. When a child�s visit comes to an end volunteers leave stuffed horses and coloring books as souvenirs to keep the magic alive.

Visits at assisted living facilities are just as magical. Seniors who had horses as part of their childhoods are reunited with these amazing animals allowing happy memories to be remembered.

�A good day at a nursing home is when the horses come home with lipstick kiss marks all over them, in all sorts of shades,� explains Debbie.

At nursing homes especially, some residents choose only to come out of their rooms on horse visit days.

One such assisted care facility visit helped Magic earn her �Most Heroic Pet� title from AARP. �A woman who had not spoken since she arrived at the assisted care facility three years earlier began talking to Magic. �Isn�t she beautiful� were her first words and then she exclaimed �It�s a horse,�� recalls Debbie. �The activities director suddenly began to cry and told the woman she loved her.�

Debbie continues, ��I love you too,� the woman answered.� She has continued to talk since that magical visit.

Magic has also been present when a person woke from a coma. In another touching moment, she comforted a gentleman as he passed away while petting her. With these types of visits and reactions it�s no surprise that Magic is the most requested member of the Gentle Carousel Team.

Debbie adds, �Magic is requested so often that she actually has an understudy.�

In addition to the hugely successful Gentle Carousel therapy program, Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochea are going into the third year of their Reading is Magic program. Gentle Carousel with the help of "Magic" and friends bring tiny horses inside schools, libraries and at-risk youth programs to inspire young readers. This program takes classic children�s books and brings them to life, by having horses that look exactly like the characters in the story visit children at schools and libraries.

�Once the teacher or librarian reads the book, the characters come into the room,� says Debbie.

A former school principal, Debbie has a passion for ensuring that all children learn how to read. According to Debbie, �If children aren�t reading well by third grade it will be hard for them to catch up later on.� Poor readers are at increased risk for dropping out of school, substance abuse, delinquency and poverty.

Debbie and her team certainly have gotten the interest of children peaked in the areas �Reading is Magic� serves. Last year the summer program had to turn kids away at a number of the events as the numbers exceed fire code regulations. You don�t generally see a summer reading program overfilling rooms.

Gentle Carousel horses look like the characters out of Misty of Chincoteague, National Velvet, The Black Stallion and more. One of the horses, Sundance was featured in the book Jason and Elihu. Not only was his personality captured on the pages of the book, but at special appearances he will �sign� the book with a kiss for lucky boys and girls. There are two more easy reading books in the works that will feature Gentle Carousel horses.

Once the horses leave the classroom or library, the fun doesn�t stop. Young readers are encouraged to keep up with their new horse friends through Facebook and e-mail. Each horse has its own e-mail account so the children can stay in touch.

Whether it�s bringing books to life or bringing smiles to the faces of the sick or elderly, Gentle Carousel horses fill this tall order day after day. Although they are small their impact is huge on the lives of those they touch. Through a variety of touching stories the impact of these small creatures can be felt. And now you know, if you get a call from an elder relative or school age child in Florida telling you there are horses at school or in their room, there might just be.

Gentle Carousel currently feeds Triple Crown Safe Starch Forage to all their miniature horses. Safe Starch Forage came recommended by Joe Camp the creator and director of Benji films and famed author of �The Soul of a Horse.� Debbie says, �For the past year we have been feeding Safe Starch Forage. All the horses are happy and their coats look fantastic.�

For more information about Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses and the Reading is Magic program visit http://www.horse-therapy.org and http://www.readingismagic.org.

If you've met Magic, Sundance or any of the other Gentle Carousel therapy horses, we'd love to hear all about it! Tell us your stories in the comments section below.

Believe in Magic

A miniature therapy horse � the winner of our Most Heroic Pet Contest � inspires the world

by: Cate Lineberry | from: AARP The Magazine

Magic the Horse with owner Jorge Garcia-Bengochea

Magic with handler Jorge Garcia-Bengochea � Jennifer Anfinsen

Magic � a miniature, blue-eyed therapy horse who won AARP The Magazine's most heroic pet contest in 2009 � has been named one of Time's most courageous animals in history.

Four-year-old Magic inspired Kathleen Loper, an assisted living resident, to speak for the first time since arriving at the center several years before.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Loper asked when she first saw Magic. The staff at the assisted living center watched in amazement as Loper continued to talk. "The connection she had with Magic was magical," said Ann Marie Malave, a coordinator at the center. A local reporter and photographer covering a story about therapy horses documented the event.

Before Magic left that day, Loper asked, "Will she come back again?" Loper has been talking ever since.

Magic's heroism continues to transform other lives in north Florida. She visits hospitals and hospice programs; makes appearances at libraries and schools as part of a literacy program named in her honor; and helps police with community outreach programs in crime-ridden neighborhoods.

But since winning our contest, she�s gained a new level of fame. Newspapers and websites from around the world � including Pakistan, Thailand and Latvia � have written articles about her, and she stars as the main character in a children's book that will be published in October. Proceeds will help support at-risk readers in early childhood literacy programs and a nonprofit school for children with autism.

"She now gets hundreds of emails from children who want to see her," said Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, one of Magic's handlers. "For many, it�s their final wish."

Debbie and her husband, Jorge, founded and run the nonprofit Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses and visit as many people in need as they can. It's a second career for both of them; she was a school principal, he worked in real estate. After adopting three young boys with a history of trauma, the couple, now in their 50's, looked to therapy animals for help.

"We started with a regular-size horse and quickly learned that a larger, more powerful horse can seem daunting to a young child, an elderly person or someone with a disability," said Debbie. "When I saw my first miniature horse, I knew we could do something different."

Like their other 27 miniature therapy horses, Magic is housebroken and has been trained to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators and stay calm around loud and unexpected noises.

But the Garcia-Bengocheas say there is something special about Magic. She was with a patient as he awoke from a coma and with another who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on her head. She recently spent time with a boy who had just learned his cancer had returned and a woman who hadn't been out of her room in months.

"Magic will meet everyone but then really want to spend time with a certain person," Jorge said. "She always seems to find the person who needs her the most."

Le magazine AARP, �quivalent de "Notre Temps", un des magazines les plus lus aux USA (tirage � 25 millions d'exemplaires) vient d'�lire un cheval miniature "animal h�ro�que de l'ann�e". Magic, la bien nomm�e, est une petite jument noire aux yeux bleus qui officie au sein d'une association d'�quith�rapie. La "Gentle Carousel Horse Therapy", situ�e en Floride, travaille avec une vingtaine de chevaux miniatures aupr�s d'une population de tous �ges: enfants gravement malades, personnes atteintes de cancers, personnes �g�es en institution, patients Alzheimer, etc... L'ann�e derni�re, la petite Magic a ainsi apport� du r�confort � 4000 malades, des interventions toujours tr�s appr�ci�es, mais c'est surtout sa visite la plus marquante qui lui a valu, � juste titre, la couronne d'animal h�ro�que de l'ann�e. En effet, lors d'une s�ance dans une maison de retraite, l'interaction avec l'�quid� miniature a eu pour effet de redonner la parole � une patiente qui n'avait pas prononc� un mot depuis 3 ans. Depuis cette visite, la personne �g�e semble d�finitivement sortie de son mutisme, au grand bonheur de son entourage familial et soignant.
Une r�compense largement m�rit�e qui valorise ce type de th�rapeutique et le travail de toute une �quipe. Dommage que la France soit si en retard sur le plan de l'�quith�rapie et, plus g�n�ralement, de la zooth�rapie...

AARP�s �Most Heroic Pet in America� Is Simply Magic

Morton, IL � Strebors Black Magic On Demand, a Miniature Horse registered with the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR), is spreading a special form of magic as a therapy horse. Known to her many fans as Magic, the black mini with blue eyes was recently named the �Most Heroic Pet in America� by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).

Magic, owned by Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochea of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses in High Springs, Florida, was featured in the 2010 May/June issue of AARP Magazine for her heroic efforts as a therapy mini. �I am so proud of her,� Debbie Garcia-Bengochea said. �She has worked with over 4,000 people, but the story that helped her win the �Most Heroic Pet� title has to do with a woman who hadn�t talked in three years.�

Garcia-Bengochea said that in September of 2009, a reporter from the Ocala Star-Banner newspaper was taking photos of a Gentle Carousel visit at an assisted care facility. �A woman who had not spoken since she arrived at the assisted care facility three years earlier began talking to Magic. �Isn't she beautiful� were her first words and then �It's a horse�," Garcia-Bengochea said. �The activities director began to cry and told the woman she loved her.�

Garcia-Bengochea went on to explain that the woman answered "I love you too" � her first words spoken to another person in all those years. �Before Magic left the woman asked, �Will she come back again?� The woman has continued to talk since that visit with Magic,� Garcia-Bengochea said. �AARP used this event, and the story and photos the Ocala Star-Banner published, to select Magic as the Most Heroic Pet in America.�

Magic isn�t the only Miniature Horse owned by Gentle Carousel that is working their magic everywhere from nursing homes to hospitals all across North Florida. �We have 26 minis in our program, which is a non-profit volunteer program,� Garcia-Bengochea said. �Our minis have sparkles in their coats and look amazing when they do their visits. We love minis and it�s a great way to have them in the community.�

Garcia-Bengochea said the story of Magic being named the �Most Heroic Pet In America� has been picked up by news outlets in Argentina, Korea, New Zealand, Holland and Thailand, just to name a few. �Magic has been with people when they passed away and when they have awoken from a coma,� Garcia-Bengochea said. �Magic is requested so often that she actually has an understudy.�

The tiny black mini with blue eyes certainly seems happy to be representing the American Miniature Horse Registry, introducing people each day to the remarkable breed. �We can�t cure the many diseases out there, but we do bring magic into the lives of sick people,� Garcia-Bengochea said.

For more information on Miniature Horses, visit www.shetlandminature.com.

Photos: Strebors Black Magic On Demand, a Miniature Horse registered with the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR), was recently named the �Most Heroic Pet in America� by the AARP. Magic is a Miniature Therapy Horse who has worked with over 4,000 people. (Photos courtesy of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy

Zirgi spēj palīdzēt vē�a slimniekiem

Horses are able to help cancer patients

31.03.2010. 31/03/2010.

Miniatūrais zirdziņ� Magic (no latvie�u val. - Brīnums) kļuvis īpa�i iemīļots Floridas slimnīcās un veco ļau�u pansionātos dēļ savas mistiskās spējas palīdzēt nedziedināmi slimajiem. Miniature horse Magic (from Latvian. - Wonder) has become particularly popular in Florida hospitals and old people's homes because of their mystical ability to help the terminally ill.

Magic ir četrus gadus veca ķēvīte ar zilām acīm. Magic is a four-year-old ķēvīte with blue eyes. Miniatūrais zirdziņ� ir viens no īpa�ās ārstniecības/terapijas programmas "Gentle Carousel" dalībniekiem. Miniature horse is one of the special treatment / therapy programs "Gentle Carousel" players. Amerikas Pensionāru asociācija (AARP) 2009.gadā mazo zirdziņu ir atzinusi par ASV dro�sirdīgāko mājdzīvnieku. American Association of Retired Workers (AARP) in 2009 the small horse is found on the U.S. dro�sirdīgāko pet.

Ārstniecības programmā iesaistīto zirgu galvenais uzdevums ir maigi pieņemt pacientu da�ādās mīlestības izpausmes. Medical program of the participating horses main task is to gently take the patients in the various manifestations of love. Terapijas zirgi, kopā ar pacientiem, brīvi staigā pa ārstniecībai paredzētajām telpām, radot pacientos neaizmirstamas psiholoģiskas un fiziskas sajūtas. Therapy horses, together with patients free to walk through to treatment rooms provided for patients by creating memorable psychological and physical sensations. Terapijas moto ir: "Mazie zirdziņi ar lielajām sirdīm"! Treatment with the slogan: "Small horse with big hearts!

Welcome to allaboutpets.org.uk!

Miniature pet horse named 'heroic pet of the year'

Wednesday, 31 March 2010

A miniature pet horse has been named the most heroic pet of the year by an American magazine.

Magic, a four-year-old mare from Florida, works with hospital patients and elderly hospice residents as part of an animal therapy organisation.

The pet won the contest run by the American Association of Retired Persons magazine, beating stiff competition from eight dogs and a cat that made up the top ten finalists.

The miniature horse helped a patient at an assisted-living complex when she came to visit. Kathleen Loper, who had not spoken since arriving at the facility three years previously, said: "Isn't she beautiful?" when she was introduced to Magic.

The horse, who only just reaches her owner's waist, has also helped children recovering from cancer and was by the side of a patient who came out of a coma.

She rides in lifts, walks up and down stairs and is fully house-trained.

Magic appearing on The Ilene Silverman Show.

�Photo by Jennifer Anfinsen for AARP the Magazine

Jorge Garcia-Bengochea and Magic.

Miniature Therapy Horse Proves She Is Magic When She Is Named AARP�s �Most Heroic Pet in America�

Author: Johnny Robb |

Morton, Ill. (May 24, 2010) � Strebors Black Magic On Demand, a Miniature Horse registered with the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR), is spreading a special form of magic as a therapy horse. Known to her many fans as Magic, the black mini with blue eyes was recently named the �Most Heroic Pet in America� by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).
Magic, owned by Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochea of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses in High Springs, Florida, was featured in the 2010 May/June issue of AARP Magazine for her heroic efforts as a therapy mini. �I am so proud of her,� Debbie Garcia-Bengochea said. �She has worked with over 4,000 people, but the story that helped her win the �Most Heroic Pet� title has to do with a woman who hadn�t talked in three years.�
Garcia-Bengochea said that in September of 2009, a reporter from the Ocala Star-Banner newspaper was taking photos of a Gentle Carousel visit at an assisted care facility. �A woman who had not spoken since she arrived at the assisted care facility three years earlier began talking to Magic. �Isn't she beautiful� were her first words and then �It's a horse�," Garcia-Bengochea said. �The activities director began to cry and told the woman she loved her.�
Garcia-Bengochea went on to explain that the woman answered "I love you too" � her first words spoken to another person in all those years. �Before Magic left the woman asked, �Will she come back again?� The woman has continued to talk since that visit with Magic,� Garcia-Bengochea said. �AARP used this event, and the story and photos the Ocala Star-Banner published, to select Magic as the Most Heroic Pet in America.�
Magic isn�t the only Miniature Horse owned by Gentle Carousel that is working their magic everywhere from nursing homes to hospitals all across North Florida. �We have 26 minis in our program, which is a non-profit volunteer program,� Garcia-Bengochea said. �Our minis have sparkles in their coats and look amazing when they do their visits. We love minis and it�s a great way to have them in the community.�
Garcia-Bengochea said the story of Magic being named the �Most Heroic Pet In America� has been picked up by news outlets in Argentina, Korea, New Zealand, Holland and Thailand, just to name a few. �Magic has been with people when they passed away and when they have awoken from a coma,� Garcia-Bengochea said. �Magic is requested so often that she actually has an understudy.�
The tiny black mini with blue eyes certainly seems happy to be representing the American Miniature Horse Registry, introducing people each day to the remarkable breed. �We can�t cure the many diseases out there, but we do bring magic into the lives of sick people,� Garcia-Bengochea said.
For more information on Miniature Horses, visit www.shetlandminature.com Photo: Strebors Black Magic On Demand, a Miniature Horse registered with the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR), was recently named the �Most Heroic Pet in America� by the AARP. Magic is a Miniature Therapy Horse who has worked with over 4,000 people. (Photos courtesy of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses)

Inspirational Pets

Anyone who's ever owned a pet could testify that animals can be incredible gifts to people's lives. This is why AARP held a special contest: AARP's Most Heroic Pet Contest, and a winner has been crowned.

Magic, a blue-eyed miniature horse that visits hospitals, hospices and assisted-living programs, has changed a number of people's lives. And she truly seems to be magic! She was with a man when he woke up from a coma, is a good friend to an 8-year old girl who had a heart transplant and is now fighting leukemia, and literally sparked a mute woman to speak for the first time in 3 years!

Check out Magic's amazing stories and all of the other heroic pets that people submitted; it's quite touching!

Miniature Horse Named Most Heroic Pet by AARP

Magic the Mini works as a therapy horse in hospitals, hospice programs, and assisted-living facilities.

By Leslie Potter

March 31, 2010

Magic the Miniature Horse has been named the "Most Heroic Pet" in an AARP-sponsored contest. Photo courtesy Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses

A Miniature Horse in Florida has been recognized for her ability to work miracles for patients in hospitals, hospices and other facilities.
Magic is a four-year-old mare with distinctive blue eyes. With her owner, Jorge Garcia-Bengochea, she visits young cancer patients, elderly hospice residents, abused children and others as part of Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses.

Magic, like many of Gentle Carousel's horses, was born into the program and began her therapy horse training as a baby. As part of her job duties, she must handle walking up stairs, riding in elevators, and remain calm around wheelchairs and other hospital equipment. Her primary duty is to quietly accept love and affection from the people she visits.

In 2009, The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Magazine launched its "Most Heroic Pet Contest." Magic was the only horse selected as a top ten finalist among a field of eight dogs and one cat. AARP Magazine readers were invited to vote for the overall winner in early February, and Magic came out on top.

Though her list of accomplishments is already long, one story in particular brought Magic the winning votes. During a program at an assisted-living facility, Magic visited Kathleen Loper, patient who hadn't spoken since arriving at the facility three years earlier. Upon seeing Magic, Loper said, "Isn't she beautiful." She has reportedly been conversing with staff at the facility ever since.
"They're the bridge," says Ann Marie Malave, Regional Acitivty Coordinator and Community Liaison for the facility. "They connect to our residents with maybe a memory, a feeling, something that they've done in their lives. It's just such an experience. There are no words to describe it."

Words of joy, and all thanks to Magic

Magic at work.

Jorge Garcia-Bengochea and Magic

An elderly woman had not said a word at the Florida assisted-care facility where she had lived for three years.

Then, in walked Magic. The miniature horse who carries out therapy work lit a spark in the woman.

While a reporter was taking photos of a therapy horse visit, the woman began talking to Magic.

"Isn't she beautiful," were her first words. "It's a horse."

Hampton Manor's activities director Linda McSorley began to cry and told the woman she loved her.

"I love you too," she answered - her first full sentence to another person in the time she had been there.

Before Magic left, the woman asked, "Will she come back again?"

Six months after Magic's first visit and she is still talking.

The little pony's ability to weave magic, as part of the Gentle Carousel therapy horse programme, has won her the title of "Most Heroic Pet in America" in a vote organized by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) magazine.

AARP is the world's largest circulation magazine with over 25 million subscribers.

Magic was selected from 10 finalists to take the title.

The little blue-eyed horse works with adults and children inside hospitals, hospice programmes, and assisted-living facilities.

She also works with abused children and children with disabilities. Magic can walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators and moves around hospital equipment. Magic is also housebroken.

Gentle Carousel, run by Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochea, has found that Magic has been part of many little miracles and has touched hundreds of lives in north Florida area over the past few years.

United Kingdom

She hadn't spoken for three-years. Then in came Magic

An elderly woman had not said a word at the Florida assisted-care facility where she had lived for three years. Then, in walked Magic. The miniature horse who carries out therapy work lit a spark in the woman.

While a reporter was taking photos of a therapy horse visit, the woman began talking to Magic.

"Isn't she beautiful," were her first words. "It's a horse."

Hampton Manor's activities director Linda McSorley began to cry and told the woman she loved her.

"I love you too," she answered - her first full sentence to another person in the time she had been there.

Before Magic left, the woman asked, "Will she come back again?"

Six months after Magic's first visit and she is still talking.

The little pony's ability to weave magic, as part of the Gentle Carousel therapy horse programme, has won her the title of "Most Heroic Pet in America" in a vote organized by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) magazine.

AARP is the world's largest circulation magazine with over 25 million subscribers.

Magic was selected from 10 finalists to take the title.

The little blue-eyed horse works with adults and children inside hospitals, hospice programmes, and assisted-living facilities.

She also works with abused children and children with disabilities. Magic can walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators and moves around hospital equipment. Magic is also housebroken.

Magic and Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses Talk to Equine VIP

Equine VIP visited with Magic and Debbie Garcia-Benogochea (education director) at Gentle Carousel. Magic is a very special mini with a big heart. Magic was chosen as the Most Heroic Pet in America by AARP Magazine. We�ve heard of therapy dogs, but Magic is a specially trained therapy horse owned by Gentle Carousel. Over 4000 adults and children are visited by Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses each year.
To learn more about this special horse and program read our feature in Horse Digest Magazine.

Horse Digest and Gentle Carousel feature

Miniature Horse Named America's Most Heroic Pet

New York City, New York (March 24th, 2010)

A Miniature Horse named Magic has been named the "Most Heroic Pet in America" in a vote organized by the AARP.

Magic, a therapy horse, has touched thousands of patients over the past few years. She is a special friend to an 8-year-old girl who had a heart transplant and now is winning her fight with leukemia. Magic was at a hospital bed as someone woke from a coma. She comforted a man who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on Magic's head. From the Ronald McDonald House to programs for autistic children, Magic has worked her magic.

A heroic pet is one that "has significantly improved or saved a life. "The AARP's Top 10 finalists for the Heroic Pet title included eight dogs and a cat; Magic was the only horse. She will be featured in the 2010 May/June edition of AARP's The Magazine.

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses are a team of 20 tiny horses that work with children and adults inside hospitals, assisted care programs, group homes and with patients in hospice care. They also work with adults and children with disabilities and at-risk and abused children. From cheering up young cancer patients to building bridges with Alzheimer patients, this team of special horses visited more than 4,000 adults and children in 2009. The therapy horses are able to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces, and move around hospital equipment. They remain calm in unusual and challenging situations.

In September 2009, a newspaper photographer documented a unique interaction between Magic and a patient who had not spoken since she arrived at an assisted care facility three years earlier. The woman spoke to Magic; "Isn't she beautiful" were her first words, followed by, "It's a horse." Before Magic left the woman asked, "Will she come back again?" She has continued to talk since that visit with Magic.

I want a mini (AARP's Hero Pet of the Year)

No, not a mini car or even a Mini Me. I would really like a miniature pony from these guys:

"Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses are a team of 20 tiny horses that work with children and adults inside hospitals, assisted care programs, group homes and with patients in hospice care. They also work with adults and children with disabilities and at-risk and abused children. From cheering up young cancer patients to building bridges with Alzheimer patients, this team of special horses visited more than 4,000 adults and children in 2009. The therapy horses are able to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces, and move around hospital equipment. They remain calm in unusual and challenging situations (and, yes, they're housebroken)." - The Horse.

Just for the record...if I'm even incapacitated, I'm pretty sure bringing a miniature pony to me in the hospital will do the trick. Sooo cute!
This little guy name Magic, and owned by Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses (an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charity), was named the 2010 AARP "Most Heroic Pet in America." This story is saturated by cuteness: old people and ponies, AWESOME.

Magic The Miniature Horse Visits Assisted Living Homes And Then Some

There was an Assisted Living resident in Florida who had not spoken since arriving at the facility some years ago. But that changed after she met Magic. Magic has been transforming lives with her blue eyes, fluffy mane and gentle spirit. Magic is a 4 year old black miniature therapy horse who visits patients in hospitals, Nursing Homes, Assisted living and hospice programs all over the nation. Magic tries to touch the troubled souls of sick and dying patients. Her presence makes them happy, feel lively and forget about their medical complications and the health conditions they are suffering from.

Although she is one of 27 miniature therapy horses owned by the Garcia-Bengochea family, there is something extra special about Magic. She was with a patient when he awoke from a coma and with another who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on her head. She recently spent time with a boy who had just learned his cancer had returned and a woman who hadn�t been out of her room in months. �Magic will meet everyone but then really wants to spend time with a certain person,� owner and handler Jorge Bengocheas said. �She always seems to find the person who needs her most.� The Ocala Star Banner covered and published the story of Magic inspiring the Assisted Living resident to speak again and resulted in AARP using the event to name Magic as the �Most Heroic Pet in America.�

Since that time, she has gained worldwide recognition and if you can believe it, even has an understudy. News outlets in Argentina, Korea, New Zealand, Pakistan, Latvia, Holland and Thailand have covered stories of Magic. She receives hundreds of emails from people wanting to see her, and owner and handler Debbie Garcia-Bengochea says for many, it is their last wish. Horses have a long history of providing riding therapy for disabled or at risk children. The benefits have proven to be enormous for individuals with all types of disabilities, including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, autism and mental retardation. Research shows that students that participate in therapeutic riding, experience physical, emotional and mental rewards. Because of the gentle rhythm of the horse�s movements, a rider who is unable to walk alone can experience a motion similar to the human gait, thereby improving abilities to be flexible, to have better balance and better muscle strength.

The advantage of the miniatures is that they are small enough to have access to smaller spaces. They can go to the patients, which opens up many possibilities for visiting. The Garcia-Bengocheas started Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses after adopting three children who they rescued from an abusive past. They started using full size horses as a means of therapy for their children, but found the sizes could be overwhelming to children and others. After discovering the gentle nature of miniatures and their less intimidating size, they embarked on what has become one of the most rewarding pet therapy endeavors thus far.

Their stable of gentle minis are housebroken, trained to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators and stay calm around loud noises and unexpected movements. Star studded, Magic participates in literacy programs at schools and libraries and assists in community outreach programs in crime prone areas of their south Florida community. All one needs to do in order to make clear that Magic and her entourage have not let stardom go to the heads is watch a video of them muzzling, standing close and calm to someone in a wheelchair or gently kissing the face of a child with cancer. Who doesn�t believe in Magic?

About The Author: Gloria Ha�o Schneider is an expert in senior citizen and baby boomer issues. Her topics revolve around Assisted Living Facilities and the Elderly Healthcare industry to provide resources to families and their elderly loved ones across the nation.

Magic uitgeroepen tot dierenheld van het jaar in Amerika.

Magic biedt troost aan eenzame ouderen

Een bejaarde vrouw uit een verzorgingstehuis in Florida, had na een dodelijk ongeval van haar man drie jaar geleden geen woord meer gesproken. Haar familie was bang dat de getraumatiseerde dame voor altijd zou zwijgen.

Maar toen wandelde Magic het verzorgingstehuis binnen. Het miniatuurpaardje liep recht op de vrouw af en terwijl de begeleider van het therapiepaardje een gesprek aan knoopte met een verzorgster, begon de oude vrouw plotseling tegen Magic te praten.

"Is ze niet prachtig?" waren haar eerste woorden. "Het is een paard."
De directrice van het verzorgingstehuis begon te huilen en vertelde de oude vrouw dat ze van haar hield. "Ik hou ook van jou," was het antwoord - de eerste volledige zin die sinds drie jaar weer door de vrouw werd uitgesproken.

Toen Magic (volledige naam: Strebor Black Magic On Demand) weer vertrok, vroeg de vrouw: "Komt ze ooit weer?"
Zes maanden na het eerste bezoek van Magic praat de vrouw nog steeds. Volgens het personeel van het tehuis is de vrouw stukken vrolijker en actiever en lijkt weer zin te hebben in het leven.

Magic met een dakloze oudere man.

Het talent van het kleine paardje om weer vreugde en hoop te geven aan mensen, heeft haar de titel "Grootste dierenheld van Amerika" opgeleverd tijdens een verkiezing in het tijdschrift AARP (American Association of Retired Persons.) Magic nam het op tegen tien finalisten en werd door de ruim 25 miljoen lezers unaniem gekozen tot Dierenheld van het Jaar.

Het kleine paardje met blauwe ogen werkt met volwassenen en kinderen in ziekenhuizen, hospice-faciliteiten en verzorgingstehuizen. De merrie wordt tevens ingezet bij mishandelde kinderen en kinderen met een beperking. Magic kan trappen opklimmen en afdalen, gaat mee in liften en is voorzichtig met medische apparatuur in ziekenhuizen. Magic is ook zindelijk.

Een op sterven liggende oude vrouw praatte tijdens haar laatste dagen alleen nog maar over de pony die ze in haar jeugd had gehad. Haar laatste wens was om nog eenmaal een pony te kunnen aaien voor ze zou overlijden. Haar familieleden benaderden Debbie Garcia-Bengochea van de stichting, die natuurlijk niet kon weigeren.

Magic met een ernstig ziek kindje.

De familieleden vertelden de oude vrouw dat ze nog niet moest opgeven, omdat ze een speciale verrassing voor haar hadden. Dezelfde dag nog arriveerde Magic. De merrie wist instinctief precies hoe ze zich voorzichtig kon manouvreren tussen het meubilair en drie generaties familieleden die rond het bed van de vrouw zaten. Voorzichtig legde ze haar hoofd tegen de hand van de vrouw aan. De oude vrouw opende haar ogen en aaide de neus van het kleine paardje. Bijna op hetzelfde moment dat Magic haar begroette, zei de vrouw vaarwel. Haar laatste wens was in vervulling gegaan en ze stierf vredig in haar bed, omgeven door familieleden en met het hoofd van Magic op haar hand.

De organisatie Gentle Carousel, in eigendom van Debbie en Jorge Garcia-Bengochia, is bijzonder blij met de kleine Magic, die de afgelopen jaren al voor veel kleine wondertjes heeft gezorgd en honderden mensen in het hart heeft geraakt.

"Magic is de speciale vriendin van een achtjarig meisje die een harttransplantatie heeft ondergaan en nu ook nog eens een gevecht tegen leukemie moet overwinnen. Magic heeft een voormalig soldaat uit coma gekregen en ze is afgelopen week nog bij iemand gebleven die vredig stierf, terwijl zijn hand op het hoofd van Magic lag te rusten."

"Magic draagt haar naam niet voor niets en heeft zelfs een eigen gedicht, speciaal voor haar geschreven. Ze heeft al veel personen geholpen en is erg bijzonder. Overal waar ze gaat en staat weet ze mensen te ontroeren en hoop te geven. Het lijkt wel alsof ze precies weet wat mensen nodig hebben.
Dit kleine paardje heeft een heel groot hart en we hopen dat ze nog jarenlang vele mensen tot steun kan zijn."

Klik hier voor de speciale pagina van Magic.

Miniature Horse Named America's Most Heroic Pet

New York City, New York (March 24th, 2010)

A Miniature Horse named Magic has been named the "Most Heroic Pet in America" in a vote organized by the AARP.

Magic, a therapy horse, has touched thousands of patients over the past few years. She is a special friend to an 8-year-old girl who had a heart transplant and now is winning her fight with leukemia. Magic was at a hospital bed as someone woke from a coma. She comforted a man who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on Magic's head. From the Ronald McDonald House to programs for autistic children, Magic has worked her magic.

A heroic pet is one that "has significantly improved or saved a life. "The AARP's Top 10 finalists for the Heroic Pet title included eight dogs and a cat; Magic was the only horse. She will be featured in the 2010 May/June edition of AARP's The Magazine.

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses are a team of 20 tiny horses that work with children and adults inside hospitals, assisted care programs, group homes and with patients in hospice care. They also work with adults and children with disabilities and at-risk and abused children. From cheering up young cancer patients to building bridges with Alzheimer patients, this team of special horses visited more than 4,000 adults and children in 2009. The therapy horses are able to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces, and move around hospital equipment. They remain calm in unusual and challenging situations.

In September 2009, a newspaper photographer documented a unique interaction between Magic and a patient who had not spoken since she arrived at an assisted care facility three years earlier. The woman spoke to Magic; "Isn't she beautiful" were her first words, followed by, "It's a horse." Before Magic left the woman asked, "Will she come back again?" She has continued to talk since that visit with Magic.

The Most Heroic Pet in America

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses are a team of 20 very tiny horses that work with children and adults inside hospitals, assisted care programs, group homes and with patients in hospice care. They also work with adults and children with disabilities and at risk and abused children. From cheering up young cancer patients to building bridges with Alzheimer patients this team of special horses visited over 4000 adults and children in 2009 (www.Horse-Therapy.org)

The therapy horses are able to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces and move around hospital equipment. They have even traveled on airplanes and worked in television and radio studios. They are calm in the most challenging situations...and yes they are house broken. Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses is an all volunteer 501(c)(3) charity.

Gentle Carousel therapy horse Magic was just selected by AARP as the Most Heroic Petin America. The top ten finalists included eight dogs and a cat from around the country but Magic was the only horse. She will be featured in the 2010May/June AARP Magazine. .

So why is Magic the Most Heroic Pet in America? Magic has been part of many miracles and has touched thousands over the past few years. She is a special friend to an eight-year-old girl who had a heart transplant and now is winning her fight with leukemia.

Magic was at a hospital bed as someone woke from a coma. She was comforting a man who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on Magic's head. From the Ronald McDonald House to programs for autistic children, Magic has worked her magic.

While a reporter was taking photos of a Gentle Carousel visit in September 2009, a woman who had not spoken since she arrived at the assisted care facility three years earlier began talking Magic. "Isn't she beautiful" were her first words. "It's a horse". The activities director began to cry and told the woman she loved her. "I love you too," the woman answered...her first words to another person in all those years. Before Magic left the woman asked, "Will she come back again?" The woman has continued to talk since that visit with Magic

Her story and others will be featured in a documentary being made about Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses. Film makers from Sundance, Utah, came to Florida in November 2009 to follow the horses at work and to film interviews.

"We had a resident who did not speak. And the horses came in and for the first time she spoke words. Everybody cried. It was just the most touching, heartfelt experience I ever had. You can�t even put a word on it. When you see something like that happen, somebody who has not spoken in years, and this horse, this beautiful creature comes in, and the resident is petting and holding and hugging and then speaks words. Everybody cried. It was wonderful.

"They�re the bridge. They connect our residents with maybe a memory, a feeling, something that they�ve done in their life. It�s just such an experience. There are no words to describe it. That was a miracle...They donate their time, their expense, their volunteers to come and share with us and change the lives of the residents that live here. They spread a little bit of magic in everyone�s lives when they come and it�s donated."

AnnMarie, Regional Activity Coordinator and Community Liaison, Hampton Manor:

�I chair the Governor�s Commission On Disabilities and we�re very interested in this program. We�ll be studying the program this year and my guess is there will be some recommendations to the governor and the legislature about at least beginning a pilot program to enable this (Gentle Carousel) to perhaps move on state wide...This program benefits so many different population bases. You can reach the elderly, the terminally sick, children with develop mental disabilities, children with needs in reading, there are just so many opportunities to reach so many people in need and it�s done through all volunteers.�

�Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet� Anonymous

Miniature Horse Named America's 'Most Heroic Pet'

A Miniature Horse named Magic has been named the "Most Heroic Pet in America" in a vote organized by the AARP.

Magic, a therapy horse, has touched thousands of patients over the past few years. She is a special friend to an 8-year-old girl who had a heart transplant and now is winning her fight with leukemia. Magic was at a hospital bed as someone woke from a coma. She comforted a man who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on Magic's head. From the Ronald McDonald House to programs for autistic children, Magic has worked her magic.

A heroic pet is one that "has significantly improved or saved a life." The AARP's Top 10 finalists for the Heroic Pet title included eight dogs and a cat; Magic was the only horse. She will be featured in the 2010 May/June edition of AARP's The Magazine.

Magic interacts with a patient.

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses are a team of 20 tiny horses that work with children and adults inside hospitals, assisted care programs, group homes and with patients in hospice care. They also work with adults and children with disabilities and at-risk and abused children. From cheering up young cancer patients to building bridges with Alzheimer patients, this team of special horses visited more than 4,000 adults and children in 2009.

The therapy horses are able to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces, and move around hospital equipment. They remain calm in unusual and challenging situations (and, yes, they're housebroken).

In September 2009, a newspaper photographer documented a unique interaction between Magic and a patient who had not spoken since she arrived at an assisted care facility three years earlier. The woman spoke to Magic; "Isn't she beautiful" were her first words, followed by, "It's a horse." Before Magic left the woman asked, "Will she come back again?" She has continued to talk since that visit with Magic.

This story and others will be featured in a documentary being made about Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses.

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charity.

Un cheval miniature �lu animal h�ro�que de l'ann�e

Le magazine AARP, �quivalent de "Notre Temps", un des magazines les plus lus aux USA (tirage � 25 millions d'exemplaires) vient d'�lire un cheval miniature "animal h�ro�que de l'ann�e". Magic, la bien nomm�e, est une petite jument noire aux yeux bleus qui officie au sein d'une association d'�quith�rapie. La "Gentle Carousel Horse Therapy", situ�e en Floride, travaille avec une vingtaine de chevaux miniatures aupr�s d'une population de tous �ges: enfants gravement malades, personnes atteintes de cancers, personnes �g�es en institution, patients Alzheimer, etc... L'ann�e derni�re, la petite Magic a ainsi apport� du r�confort � 4000 malades, des interventions toujours tr�s appr�ci�es, mais c'est surtout sa visite la plus marquante qui lui a valu, � juste titre, la couronne d'animal h�ro�que de l'ann�e. En effet, lors d'une s�ance dans une maison de retraite, l'interaction avec l'�quid� miniature a eu pour effet de redonner la parole � une patiente qui n'avait pas prononc� un mot depuis 3 ans. Depuis cette visite, la personne �g�e semble d�finitivement sortie de son mutisme, au grand bonheur de son entourage familial et soignant.
Une r�compense largement m�rit�e qui valorise ce type de th�rapeutique et le travail de toute une �quipe. Dommage que la France soit si en retard sur le plan de l'�quith�rapie et, plus g�n�ralement, de la zooth�rapie...

The Magic of Horses
by Susan Allen
Throughout history horses have evoked deep emotion in human as evidenced in art and literature but interestingly they don�t have to be breathtaking to have a �magical" impact. I�m Susan Allen welcome to Open Range. Winston Churchill once said the �outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man� and I�ll add women. An elderly woman in a Florida care center had not uttered a word for three years ago. In trots miss Magic. The miniature therapy horse lit a spark in the lady. While a reporter was taking photos of the therapy horse visit, the woman began actually speaking to the little horse. "Isn't she beautiful," were her first words. "It's a horse." The activities director began to cry and told the woman she loved her. "I love you too," she answered, her first full sentence to another person since arriving there. Six months after Magic's visit she�s still talking. The little pony's ability to weave "magic", as part of the Gentle Carousel Therapy Horse Program, has won the tiny equine the coveted e "Most Heroic Pet in America" Title. The minute blue-eyed horse can walk up and down stairs, navigate hospital equipment and is house broken. She sparks magic not only with the elderly but also abused and disabled children and soon will have a global fan club as AARP magazine, the worlds largest circulation based publication of 25 million subscribers will feature her in their May/June Issue. You can also see Magic and her sweet elderly patient if you visit Open Range at aginfo.net http://horse-therapy.org/Hero.htm

Zirgi spēj palīdzēt vē�a slimniekiem[
�Apollo�, izglitiba@apollo.lv

Miniatūrais zirdziņ� Magic kļuvis īpa�i iemīļots Floridas slimnīcās un veco ļau�u pansionātos dēļ savas mistiskās spējas palīdzēt nedziedināmi slimajiem.

Magic ir četrus gadus veca ķēvīte ar zilām acīm. Miniatūrais zirdziņ� ir viens no īpa�ās ārstniecības/terapijas programmas �Gentle Carousel� dalībniekiem. Amerikas Pensionāru asociācija (AARP) 2009.gadā mazo zirdziņu ir atzinusi par ASV dro�sirdīgāko mājdzīvnieku.
Ārstniecības programmā iesaistīto zirgu galvenais uzdevums ir maigi pieņemt pacientu da�ādās mīlestības izpausmes. Terapijas zirgi, kopā ar pacientiem, brīvi staigā pa ārstniecībai paredzētajām telpām, radot pacientos neaizmirstamas psiholoģiskas un fiziskas sajūtas. Terapijas moto ir: �Mazie zirdziņi ar lielajām sirdīm�!

2009.gadā vidēji 4000 pieaugu�o un bērnu, kuriem bijusi nepiecie�amība pēc palīdzības, ir tiku�i iesaistīti īpa�ajā ārstniecības programmā.

Informāciju sagatavoja: www.Elittesport.lv

Believe In Magic

A miniature therapy horse � the winner of our Most Heroic Pet Contest � inspires the world.

by: Cate Lineberry | from: AARP The Magazine | September 21, 2010

When Magic visits, "children don't think about being sick," says handler Jorge Garcia-Bengochea. � Jennifer Anfinsen

Back in September 2009, we launched a search to find America's most heroic pet. The winner � a miniature, blue-eyed therapy horse named Magic � had inspired Kathleen Loper, an assisted living resident, to speak for the first time since arriving at the center three years before. "Isn't she beautiful?" Loper asked. The staff at the assisted living center watched in amazement as Loper continued to talk. "The connection she had with Magic was magical," said Ann Marie Malave, a coordinator at the center. A local reporter and photographer covering a story about therapy horses documented the event. Before Magic left that day, Loper asked, "Will she come back again?" She�s been talking ever since.
Four-year-old Magic continues to transform lives in north Florida. She visits hospitals and hospice programs; makes appearances at libraries and schools as part of a literacy program named in her honor; and helps police with community outreach programs in crime-ridden neighborhoods. But since winning our contest, she�s gained a new level of fame. Newspapers and websites from around the world � including Pakistan, Thailand and Latvia � have written articles about her, and she stars as the main character in a children�s book that will be published in October. Proceeds will help support at-risk readers in early childhood literacy programs and a nonprofit school for children with autism.

"She now gets hundreds of e-mails from children who want to see her," said Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, one of Magic�s handlers. "For many, it�s their final wish." Debbie and her husband, Jorge, founded and run the nonprofit Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses and visit as many people in need as they can. It�s a second career for both of them; she was a school principal, he worked in real estate. After adopting three young boys with a history of trauma, the couple, now in their fifties, looked to therapy animals for help. "We started with a regular-size horse and quickly learned that a larger, more powerful horse can seem daunting to a young child, an elderly person or someone with a disability," said Debbie. "When I saw my first miniature horse, I knew we could do something different."

Like their other 27 miniature therapy horses, Magic is housebroken and has been trained to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators and stay calm around loud and unexpected noises. But the Garcia-Bengocheas say there is something special about Magic. She was with a patient as he awoke from a coma and with another who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on her head. She recently spent time with a boy who had just learned his cancer had returned and a woman who hadn�t been out of her room in months. "Magic will meet everyone but then really want to spend time with a certain person," Jorge said. "She always seems to find the person who needs her the most."

Magic at station WOCA with "AM Ocala Live" radio hosts Larry Whitler and Robin. She stayed for the half hour Gentle Carousel interview. See more photos of Magic at the WOCA Photo Gallery.

The Word
Laura Lambert
Industry News You Can Use

�Magic� named Most Heroic Pet

A Miniature Horse named Magic has been named the �Most Heroic Pet in America� in a vote organized by the AARP.

Magic, a therapy horse, has touched thousands of patients over the past few years. She is a special friend to an 8-year-old girl who had a heart transplant and now is winning her fight with leukemia. Magic was at a hospital bed as someone woke from a coma. She comforted a man who peacefully passed away with his hand resting on Magic�s head. From the Ronald McDonald House to programs for autistic children, Magic has worked her magic.

A heroic pet is one that �has significantly improved or saved a life.� The AARP�s Top 10 finalists for the Heroic Pet title included eight dogs and a cat; Magic was the only horse.

She will be featured in the 2010 May/June edition of AARP�s The Magazine.

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses are a team of 20 tiny horses that work with children and adults inside hospitals, assisted care programs, group homes and with patients in hospice care. They also work with adults and children with disabilities and at-risk and abused children. From cheering up young cancer patients to building bridges with Alzheimer patients, this team of special horses visited more than 4,000 adults and children in 2009.

The therapy horses are able to walk up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces, and move around hospital equipment. They remain calm in unusual and challenging situations (and, yes, they�re housebroken).

In September 2009, a newspaper photographer documented a unique interaction between Magic and a patient who had not spoken since she arrived at an assisted care facility three years earlier. The woman spoke to Magic; �Isn�t she beautiful� were her first words, followed by, �It�s a horse.� Before Magic left the woman asked, �Will she come back again?� She has continued to talk since that visit with Magic.

This story and others will be featured in a documentary being made about Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses.

Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charity.

Magic animal proclaimed hero of the year in America.

Magic biedt troost aan eenzame ouderen Magic offers solace to lonely elderly
Een bejaarde vrouw uit een verzorgingstehuis in Florida, had na een dodelijk ongeval van haar man drie jaar geleden geen woord meer gesproken. An elderly woman from a nursing home in Florida, had a fatal accident after her husband three years ago, no word spoken. Haar familie was bang dat de getraumatiseerde dame voor altijd zou zwijgen. Her family was afraid that the traumatized woman should forever remain silent.

Maar toen wandelde Magic het verzorgingstehuis binnen. But when the nursing home within walking Magic. Het miniatuurpaardje liep recht op de vrouw af en terwijl de begeleider van het therapiepaardje een gesprek aan knoopte met een verzorgster, begon de oude vrouw plotseling tegen Magic te praten. The miniature horse ran right to the woman, and while the supervisor of the therapy horse tied to a conversation with a nurse, the woman suddenly began to talk against Magic.

"Is ze niet prachtig?" "Is not she beautiful?" waren haar eerste woorden. were her first words. "Het is een paard." "It's a horse."
De directrice van het verzorgingstehuis begon te huilen en vertelde de oude vrouw dat ze van haar hield. The director of the nursing home began to cry and told the woman she loved her. "Ik hou ook van jou," was het antwoord - de eerste volledige zin die sinds drie jaar weer door de vrouw werd uitgesproken. "I love you," was the answer - the first complete sentence since three years back by the woman was pronounced.

Toen Magic (volledige naam: Strebor Black Magic On Demand) weer vertrok, vroeg de vrouw: "Komt ze ooit weer?" When Magic (full name: Strebor Blackmagic On Demand) again left the woman asked: "Will they ever again?"
Zes maanden na het eerste bezoek van Magic praat de vrouw nog steeds. Six months after the first visit of Magic still talks the woman. Volgens het personeel van het tehuis is de vrouw stukken vrolijker en actiever en lijkt weer zin te hebben in het leven. According to the staff of the home is the wife happier and more active pieces and seems to have meaning again in life.

Het talent van het kleine paardje om weer vreugde en hoop te geven aan mensen, heeft haar de titel "Grootste dierenheld van Amerika" opgeleverd tijdens een verkiezing in het tijdschrift AARP (American Association of Retired Persons.) Magic nam het op tegen tien finalisten en werd door de ruim 25 miljoen lezers unaniem gekozen tot Dierenheld van het Jaar. The talent of the little horse to restore joy and hope to people, has earned her the title "Largest animal hero of America," delivered during an election in the magazine AARP (American Association of Retired Persons.) Magic picked it up from ten finalists and by the more than 25 million readers voted unanimously Animal Hero of the Year.

Het kleine paardje met blauwe ogen werkt met volwassenen en kinderen in ziekenhuizen, hospice-faciliteiten en verzorgingstehuizen. The little horse with blue eyes, works with adults and children in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice facilities. De merrie wordt tevens ingezet bij mishandelde kinderen en kinderen met een beperking. The mare is also used with abused children and children with disabilities. Magic kan trappen opklimmen en afdalen, gaat mee in liften en is voorzichtig met medische apparatuur in ziekenhuizen. Magic can ascend and descend stairs, elevators and goes along with careful medical equipment in hospitals. Magic is ook zindelijk. Magic is also clean.

Een op sterven liggende oude vrouw praatte tijdens haar laatste dagen alleen nog maar over de pony die ze in haar jeugd had gehad. A dying old woman lying in her last days talking only about the pony she had in her youth. Haar laatste wens was om nog eenmaal een pony te kunnen aaien voor ze zou overlijden. Her last wish was once a pony can pet before she died. Haar familieleden benaderden Debbie Garcia-Bengochea van de stichting, die natuurlijk niet kon weigeren. Her family approached Debbie Garcia-Bengochea of the foundation, which of course could not refuse.

De familieleden vertelden de oude vrouw dat ze nog niet moest opgeven, omdat ze een speciale verrassing voor haar hadden. Family members told the woman that she has not had to give up because they had a special surprise for her. Dezelfde dag nog arriveerde Magic. Magic arrived the same day. De merrie wist instinctief precies hoe ze zich voorzichtig kon manouvreren tussen het meubilair en drie generaties familieleden die rond het bed van de vrouw zaten. The mare instinctively knew exactly how she could maneuver cautiously between the furniture and three generations of family around the bed of the woman sat. Voorzichtig legde ze haar hoofd tegen de hand van de vrouw aan. Carefully, she laid her head against the hand of the woman. De oude vrouw opende haar ogen en aaide de neus van het kleine paardje. The old woman opened her eyes and stroked the nose of the little horse. Bijna op hetzelfde moment dat Magic haar begroette, zei de vrouw vaarwel. Almost at the same time that Magic greeted her, the woman said goodbye. Haar laatste wens was in vervulling gegaan en ze stierf vredig in haar bed, omgeven door familieleden en met het hoofd van Magic op haar hand. Her last wish was fulfilled and she died peacefully in her bed, surrounded by family and head of Magic on her hand.

De organisatie Gentle Carousel, in eigendom van Debbie en Jorge Garcia-Bengochia, is bijzonder blij met de kleine Magic, die de afgelopen jaren al voor veel kleine wondertjes heeft gezorgd en honderden mensen in het hart heeft geraakt. The organization Gentle Carousel, owned by Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochia, is delighted with the little Magic, in recent years been many small miracles and has provided hundreds of people have touched the heart.

"Magic is de speciale vriendin van een achtjarig meisje die een harttransplantatie heeft ondergaan en nu ook nog eens een gevecht tegen leukemie moet overwinnen. Magic heeft een voormalig soldaat uit coma gekregen en ze is afgelopen week nog bij iemand gebleven die vredig stierf, terwijl zijn hand op het hoofd van Magic lag te rusten." "Magic is the special friend of an eight year old girl who received a heart transplant has undergone and is now also a battle against leukemia must overcome. Magic, a former soldier in coma and had them last week, when someone left who peacefully died, while his hand on the head of Magic lay to rest. "

"Magic draagt haar naam niet voor niets en heeft zelfs een eigen gedicht, speciaal voor haar geschreven. Ze heeft al veel personen geholpen en is erg bijzonder. Overal waar ze gaat en staat weet ze mensen te ontroeren en hoop te geven. Het lijkt wel alsof ze precies weet wat mensen nodig hebben. "Magic bears her name for nothing, and even has its own poem, written especially for her. She has helped many people and is very special. Everywhere she goes she knows and allows people to move and hope. It seems if she knows exactly what people need.
Dit kleine paardje heeft een heel groot hart en we hopen dat ze nog jarenlang vele mensen tot steun kan zijn." This little horse has a very big heart and we hope she will for years many people can support. "

Klik hier: Click here:
http://www.horse-therapy.org/magic%202.htm http://www.horse-therapy.org/magic% 202.htm
voor de speciale pagina van Magic. special page for the Magic.

The Most Beautiful True Story You Will Ever Hear

Magic the Miniature Horse

By Marcel |

This is magical story about a hero named 'Magic', a four-year-old miniature horse with stunning blue eyes who was brought to an assisted living residence by her owners from 'Gentle Carousel Little Therapy Horses With Big Hearts'. Her owners, Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochea, had trained Magic for two years and they knew the positive effect she could have with people. But they were about to experience something that would reaffirm for them why they named the little horse 'Magic'.

Magic is no ordinary horse. Apart from having a shiny coat and radiant blue eyes, she has a sense when people are in need and will often seek them out. One day she noticed one resident, Kathleen Loper, who had not spoken for over three years. Magic trotted straight over to Mrs Loper who was overwhelmed and suddenly exclaimed out loud, "Isn't she beautiful?". The staff were amazed and some began to cry as Mrs Loper continued to talk to the little horse for the rest of Magic's visit. She has continued to talk ever since that day.

Magic has now become famous around the world being featured in newspapers, magazines and websites. She also won the AARP The Magazine's "Most Heroic Pet Contest" and inspired a children's book which will be released in October, 2011. Her owners have always known there was something special about Magic. When brought in to see one patient who was in a coma the patient awoke as Magic stood by his side. In another sad and touching story, a patient passed away peacefully with his hand resting on her head. One young boy who had surgery for a brain tumour was told he would soon be blind. He held Magic close to his face saying that he never wanted to forget what she looked like.

Magic has warmed the hearts of thousands of sick children and their families. She has allowed them to forget their suffering as they instead focus their attention on petting her and lavishing her with hugs and kisses. Magic is always a calming force for those who need her. She is truly an inspiration to us all. No wonder Winston Churchill said, "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man."

There are more very moving stories in the video below and you can visit Gentle Carousel's website to meet their other miniature therapy horses Moonbeam, Rainbow, Circus, Peanut, Angel, Eclipse, Aladdin, Princess, Banner, Milky Way, Sundance, Whistle, Shadow, Chaps, Rocket, Flame, Brighty, Silver, Sparkle, Durango, Dreamer, Stardust, Illusion, Feather, Prince, Contender, Presley, Scout, Comet, Tumbleweed and, who could forget, Ernest the tiny donkey!

The Fantastic Top 10 Finalists

Pet's Name: Hayley

Heroic Act: A beagle/rottweiler mix discovers a bound kidnap victim behind a Dumpster.

Pet's Name: Smokie

Heroic Act: A German shepherd nudges her family to the door, where a neighbor lies unconscious in the snow.

Pet's Name: Hallie

Heroic Act: A German shepherd fights armed burglars and is shot at point-blank range.

Pet's Name: Stinky

Heroic Act: A Nome mix battles a charging grizzly bear to protect his owner.

Pet's Name: Hootie

Heroic Act: An English setter saves a woman from a moose attack.

Pet's Name: Annie

Heroic Act: A Golden retriever leads a deaf man to his wife, whose fall has left her with broken ankles.

Pet's Name: Silver

Heroic Act: A Louisiana Catahoula leopard dog barks and scratches at a door to alert her owner to a fire.

Pet's Name: Magic

Heroic Act: A miniature horse's visit sparks a patient to talk after three years of silence.

Pet's Name: Cookie

Heroic Act: A cat meows until her owner, groggy from smoke inhalation, wakes up.

Pet's Name: Max

Heroic Act: A Jack Russell terrier protects his owner from a rabid fox.

Gentle Carousel Therapy Horses is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity.

Your donations are tax deductible.

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." ~Winston Churchill

Gentle Carousel Inc.

P.O. Box 358844

Gainesville, FL 32635

Phone: 352-226-9009

MiniHorseTherapy@att.net

Home Page