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  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

Lake City Journal | Lake City, FL 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:

TeaTime Magazine

"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

 

  Becoming A Therapy Horse

  How do you get your horses to do what they do?  That is a question that we are asked everywhere we go.  The quick answer is trust. 

 

 

When a Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horse arrives for a visit he works with someone that he trusts completely.

  Our horses need to feel comfortable in new situations and adapt to sounds and sights that would frighten most of their equine friends. 

 

Film writer, producer, director, bestselling author and man behind the canine superstar BENJI, Joe Camp flew from California to help Gentle Carousel.

Joe Camp working with Magic.  She is a little horse but responds to Joe the same way as her large equine relatives do.  We are so thankful for the many, many hours Joe devoted to our program and horses as a teacher and friend.

 Like our horses, we are constantly learning.  We recommend Joe Camp's latest best selling book The Soul Of A Horse to anyone who loves horses and wants to learn how they think.  Some other favorites that have influenced the way we work with our horses include:

 

Canine movie star Benji takes Magic inside City Hall to meet the mayor as documentary filmmakers work on a movie.


Learning the skills needed to be a therapy horse takes at least two years and there is always something new to learn.  The training program is challenging for both horses and handlers.

 Our therapy horses must be able to go up and down stairs, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces and carefully move around hospital equipment.  They have even traveled on airplanes!   We never force our horses to do anything.  They are treated with kindness and respect and choose to work with us and have a relationship with us.

 

 Our horses do not feel stressed or fearful in new situations because they have a safe leader to count on.

  

      Magic did a photo shoot with Luke the elephant for our "Reading Is Magic" program. This is a photo of trust!


 Circus had just met these five barking Dalmatians for the first time and handled the new situation with confidence. 

 

When people meet our therapy horses for the first time they immediately feel the gentleness, calm spirit and confidence.

 

 

Starting Therapy Horse Training

 

                                          Photo of Stardust from Horse Illustrated Magazine

 

 

Stardust at one hour old.

 

The "imprinting" process of a Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horse begins at birth.

What exactly is foal imprinting?  It is desensitizing Stardust to human interaction immediately upon birth.  During imprinting he is handled by humans before his fight-or-flight instinct kicks in. 

As soon as the foal is born a handler gently touches his gums, teeth, ears, mouth and nose.  She handles the foal's feet, applies gentle pressure to the sides and back, and introduces him to distracting sights and sounds.

The goal is to get Stardust to experience sensations he will experience as a Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horse and accept them at the earliest stage.  We have a relationship with Stardust based on his trust.  He feels safe in "our herd" and that herd  includes a human as the leader.

.

Stardust is introduced to many different textures to walk on including cement, grass, tile and carpet.  He continues to meet new people and animals over the first few days of his life.

The relationship and trust that Stardust has with us is obvious!  His mother watches peacefully because she trusts us too.

This photo of Distant Thunder Stardust On Demand won First Place in the 2008 American Miniature Horse Association's Photo Contest and appeared Miniature Horse World Magazine.

 

No matter what new sights or sounds he encounters, Stardust knows that we will keep him safe.

 

Stardust becomes more independent and confident.  He loves running with his horse buddies but is quick to greet his human friends nose to nose... the way horses greet each other.

 

The journey begins...

 

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

 

Phone: 352-226-9009

E-mail: MiniHorseTherapy@att.net

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