100 SIDELINES SEPTEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
By Lauren R. Giannini
D
uring the recent tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, Gentle
Carousel Miniature Therapy horses found themselves
both the heroes and the victims. When disaster stuck,
the little horses remained calm while founders Debbie and Jorge
Garcia-Bengochea made a decision that would result in renewing
hope to a town that had nearly lost everything.
“Gentle Carousel had been asked by the community to bring
our therapy horses to Moore for the children who survived the
destruction of their schools on May 20,” recalled Debbie. “We
had just gotten back to the hotel when the news announced that
the tornado that had been heading north turned around and was
heading south again toward Moore. Who would think that an EF-5
tornado would hit the same place twice?”
Alerted by hotel staff that the best shelter they could offer was
for guests to bunker down under their bed mattresses in the
hallway, Debbie and Jorge opted to hit the road immediately with
their horses. “Had we left two minutes later, we never would have
gotten out of there,” Debbie said. “The tornado kept going – so
much energy around it. It was two-and-a-half miles wide. All we
saw behind us was blackness, smoke and accidents. Our horses
weren’t bothered. They thought we were fine, doing one more
e
Little Horses
Harriet and Magic arrive in Moore, Oklahoma to help the children who survived the May tornado that destroyed their schools.
Hugging Magic gives a young girl comfort.
unusual thing. We were stressed, the horses weren’t.”
After fleeing the tornado, Debbie and Jorge pulled over and
waited until they lifted the roadblocks on the interstate back
to Moore. “We had to go back for the children who had been
attending funerals and who needed us. We promised that the little
horses would be there again the next day, and we couldn’t go
back on our word,” Debbie said.
When they returned to Moore they learned how lucky they were.
The second five-in-one twister totally destroyed the farm where
their horses had stayed and also resulted in severe damages to
their hotel. That close encounter made Debbie and Jorge even
more cognizant of the power of the therapeutic benefits of their
Gentle Carousel horses.
Do Big Jobs
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