BIG magic L I T T L E
The tiny-hoofed wonders of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses bring joy and comfort wherever they go. By JoAnn Guidry
Photos By John Jernigan
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h, my! What a cutie! Oh, she’s so soft! You just made my day! If a room could smile, it would look like the lobby of Brookdale Chambrel Pinecastle’s independent/assisted living facility. As Moonshadow, the youngest member of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, goes from resident to resident, she is gleefully greeted. And there’s a reason she elicits such genuine delight—she’s just so darned cuddly cute. Moonshadow was given her name because she was born during this year’s supermoon on the first day of Spring. Only two months old during her recent Brookdale visit, she was already in therapy horse training. The smoky gray paint filly with impossibly teeny tiny hooves then stood 18.5 inches high and weighed not quite 30 pounds. And her striking blue eyes are definitely attention-getters. Not that Moonshadow or any of the other Gentle Carousel mini-horses ever have any trouble drawing attention. No one can resist wanting to pet their soft, teddy-bear coats and that’s when the magic happens.
OCALA’S GOOD LIFE retirement redefined
“Our residents always look forward to a visit from Gentle Carousel,” says Tim Smith, executive director of Brookdale Chambrel Pinecastle. “It’s as if these little horses have the ability to communicate through telepathy. They intuitively know how to share and show love to those who need it the most. I call them our little visiting angels.”
GENTLE CAROUSEL MINIATURE Thera-
py Horses, a 501(c)(3) charity, was founded 20 years ago by Jorge and Debbie GarciaBengochea. The couple then lived in Palm Beach County and their fledgling organization initially focused on working with foster and at-risk children. “I was a school principal with experience working with children with special needs,” says Debbie, who serves as the organization’s Right: Jorge Garcia-Bengochea and Moonshadow
