Miniature Therapy Horse Looks Up To Triple Crown Winner
Jun 9, 2015 22:19:51 GMT -5
Post by Evelyn on Jun 9, 2015 22:19:51 GMT -5
Very cute!
Three Whinnies For Pharoah: Miniature Therapy Horse Looks Up To Triple Crown Winner
by Natalie Voss
Paulick Report
If you spent part of Saturday afternoon screaming at your television set, you weren’t alone. Fourteen-month-old Kiwi, a Miniature therapy horse standing 25 inches tall, came indoors to watch the Belmont Stakes and got very excited when he spotted newly-crowned American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza on the screen. His fun-sized whinnies created a moment made for YouTube.
Tara Needham, one of the little horse’s owners, reported that Kiwi ventures into the house from time to time but has only recently begun glancing occasionally at the television. During this year’s Kentucky Derby however, he began whinnying at the screen, but only when American Pharoah was visible.
“I think his dark shiny coat and bright silks really caught Kiwi’s attention,” she said. “Either that or he just knows a good horse when he sees one. He is a pretty smart little guy.”
Kiwi was on hand for last year’s Triple Crown races, but Needham thinks he was too young to focus on the screen for very long, as he didn’t take much notice of California Chrome. That, or perhaps he just isn’t a fan of horses with blazes.
By the time the Belmont came around, Kiwi was a big enough Pharoah fan to be sporting his own brightly-colored flower leis in yellow and bright blue.
Kiwi is one of the four therapy horses that form Stampede of Love, a non-mounted therapy program based near Raleigh, N.C. Although he’s still learning his job, Kiwi began his therapy work at four months of age.
“He is still in the training mode, but has been on several outings,” said Needham. “He is afraid of nothing, just a bit rambunctious.”
Kiwi and a handful of other Miniature Horses in the Stampede of Love program visit hospitalized children in the Raleigh area, much the way therapy dogs do. Research has shown that interaction with animals reduces blood pressure, mentally stimulates patients, and is ultimately associated with shorter hospital stays. They wear special sneakers on their travels and are “house broken.”
Kiwi and his crew also make appearances at local charity events, promoting awareness of Miniature Horses and animal-assisted therapy work.
Needham and her mother Mary, both California transplants, have been longtime fans of American Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert. In fact, Kiwi’s sire, Leo, met Baffert and got a tour of the trainer’s barn at Santa Anita.
“Bob got a big kick out of Leo,” Needham recalled. “He called him ‘The Shrimp.’ He wanted to put him in a stall for the stewards to come around and pre-race check. Always the prankster.”
So, it’s possible, Needham admits, that Kiwi is a bit biased.
Three Whinnies For Pharoah: Miniature Therapy Horse Looks Up To Triple Crown Winner
by Natalie Voss
Paulick Report
If you spent part of Saturday afternoon screaming at your television set, you weren’t alone. Fourteen-month-old Kiwi, a Miniature therapy horse standing 25 inches tall, came indoors to watch the Belmont Stakes and got very excited when he spotted newly-crowned American Pharoah and jockey Victor Espinoza on the screen. His fun-sized whinnies created a moment made for YouTube.
Tara Needham, one of the little horse’s owners, reported that Kiwi ventures into the house from time to time but has only recently begun glancing occasionally at the television. During this year’s Kentucky Derby however, he began whinnying at the screen, but only when American Pharoah was visible.
“I think his dark shiny coat and bright silks really caught Kiwi’s attention,” she said. “Either that or he just knows a good horse when he sees one. He is a pretty smart little guy.”
Kiwi was on hand for last year’s Triple Crown races, but Needham thinks he was too young to focus on the screen for very long, as he didn’t take much notice of California Chrome. That, or perhaps he just isn’t a fan of horses with blazes.
By the time the Belmont came around, Kiwi was a big enough Pharoah fan to be sporting his own brightly-colored flower leis in yellow and bright blue.
Kiwi is one of the four therapy horses that form Stampede of Love, a non-mounted therapy program based near Raleigh, N.C. Although he’s still learning his job, Kiwi began his therapy work at four months of age.
“He is still in the training mode, but has been on several outings,” said Needham. “He is afraid of nothing, just a bit rambunctious.”
Kiwi and a handful of other Miniature Horses in the Stampede of Love program visit hospitalized children in the Raleigh area, much the way therapy dogs do. Research has shown that interaction with animals reduces blood pressure, mentally stimulates patients, and is ultimately associated with shorter hospital stays. They wear special sneakers on their travels and are “house broken.”
Kiwi and his crew also make appearances at local charity events, promoting awareness of Miniature Horses and animal-assisted therapy work.
Needham and her mother Mary, both California transplants, have been longtime fans of American Pharoah trainer Bob Baffert. In fact, Kiwi’s sire, Leo, met Baffert and got a tour of the trainer’s barn at Santa Anita.
“Bob got a big kick out of Leo,” Needham recalled. “He called him ‘The Shrimp.’ He wanted to put him in a stall for the stewards to come around and pre-race check. Always the prankster.”
So, it’s possible, Needham admits, that Kiwi is a bit biased.