78 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By April Leonard
F
or twenty one year old Jennifer Anfnsen,
American Miniature Horses are much more than
just cute pets - they are a way of bringing joy,
love and comfort into the lives of people in need. Jennifer
volunteers her time to use miniature horses as a means
of therapy for special needs children, hospice patients,
residents of retirement homes and many others.
In 2008, Jennifer and her mother met Debbie Garcia-
Bengochea, who was tutoring Jennifer’s sister. Debbie runs
a volunteer based charity called Gentle Carousel Miniature
Therapy Horses, in Gainesville, Florida, near Jennifer’s home.
Gentle Carousel brings miniature horses to a variety of places
including schools and hospitals with the goal of brightening the
day of the people there. The program began in 2002 and now
works with an astounding 18,000 children and adults each year.
As Debbie spoke about the program, the idea of using horses
for therapy immediately sparked Jennifer’s interest. Jennifer
had grown up riding horses and had competed in hunter shows
and also enjoyed trail riding. “For me, it is therapy to go down
to the barn,” Jennifer said. It made perfect sense to her to bring
horses to people who could not go to a barn themselves so they
could also experience the therapeutic power of horses.
Jennifer’s volunteer position at Gentle Carousel includes
helping with the training of the miniature horses and handling
them during therapeutic visits. Training the minis for visits
involves getting them used to lots of people being around and
desensitizing them so they will not easily spook. Her favorite
mini to work with is a mare called Wakonda, a naturally shy
mini who took quite a while to develop the “therapy horse
personality” that Gentle Carousel strives for. Jennifer says that
the sweet, trusting horse has really come a long way since they
frst began working with her. Wakonda now excels at bringing
smiles to the faces of the people they visit.
Aside from training the minis, Jennifer and her mother also
house and care for seven of Gentle Carousel’s 26 miniature
therapy horses. Her mother is in charge of making the costumes
Mini Therapy –
Mighty Results
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