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Monday, June 23 2014 / Published in General, Weekly Feature

“Little Horses Do Big Jobs” – Sidelines Story by Lauren R. Giannini Wins Alltech A+ Journalism Award

By Lauren R. Giannini

 

Hugging Magic gives a young girl comfort.

Hugging Magic gives a young girl comfort.

During 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 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.

 

Harriet and Magic arrive in Moore, Oklahoma to help the children who survived the May tornado that destroyed their schools.

Harriet and Magic arrive in Moore, Oklahoma to help the children who survived the May tornado that destroyed their schools.

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.

 

Although Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy emphasizes that the organization does not chase disasters, they knew they needed to help the people in Oklahoma.“Going to Oklahoma really fit what our horses do,” Debbie explained. “People were homeless. There was so much sadness. Seven children had died and others were injured when the first tornado destroyed the two schools. Our horses bring joy and comfort to people who have suffered great loss. They feel encouraged, they’re excited and smiling, their parents are smiling. They go home with happier memories, plush toy horses and a photo of them with their therapy horse.”

 

The help offered by Gentle Carousel isn’t limited to towns that have been decimated by major tornados. Every year the 501(c) (3) non-profit charity’s miniature therapy horses work with more than 20,000 people. They visit hospitals, hospices, rehab centers and schools, as well as communities and families recovering from traumatic events.

 

When Gentle Carousel received requests to visit Moore in the aftermath of the EF-5 tornado that blasted that initial mile and a half wide swath, various volunteers discussed the calls with Debbie and Jorge. They all agreed that the importance of this road trip outweighed Gentle Carousel’s budget.

 

John LeCain, a pastor from New York, is learning to operate an electric wheelchair while therapy horse Wakanda practices adjusting her speed to walk with him at the University of Florida Health Rehab Hospital (formerly Shands Rehab Hospital) in Gainesville, Florida.

John LeCain, a pastor from New York, is learning to operate an electric wheelchair while therapy horse Wakanda practices adjusting her speed to walk with him at the University of Florida Health Rehab Hospital (formerly Shands Rehab Hospital) in Gainesville, Florida.

“We are an all-volunteer non-profit, and probably our greatest challenge is finances,” Jorge said. “We’ve been doing this for about 15 years, and our little horses are trained to go anywhere and give joy, inspiration and hope to people. But there are times when we have to consider the expenses of travel and lodging. We hadn’t planned on going to Oklahoma. We did it out of pocket, because we felt we had to be there. We wish we could accept every invitation, but sometimes we can’t.”

 

One invitation that Gentle Carousel didn’t turn down was the opportunity to work at the University of Florida Health Rehab Hospital (formerly Shands Rehab Hospital) in Gainesville, Florida. “It has been an interesting partnership,” Debbie admitted. “To get ready for the trip to Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut we practiced at UF Health, including using the elevators. Our therapy horses can go into hospitals and rehab hospitals across the country – for many, it is their first encounter with therapy horses.”

 

Gentle Carousel’s horses bring joy wherever they go. This is especially true at UF Health where children and adults learn to cope with daily life after suffering strokes, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations, burns or major joint replacements. They practice everyday tasks in a room set up like an apartment with a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The horses learn how to approach beds, move around on different floor surfaces and work in small areas.

 

Sometimes horses and patients practice at the same time on the steps and ramps in the therapy gym. The horses might walk alongside patients as they learn to use walkers and wheelchairs. In occupational therapy, learning to perform everyday skills like cooking can involve patients making special treats for the therapy horses. The blessings the patients receive from the horses are not only educational, but inspirational as well.

Therapy horse Magic demonstrates rehab training stairs and ramps for the patients.

Therapy horse Magic demonstrates rehab training stairs and ramps for the patients.

 

“We’ve always felt very blessed. After we survived Moore’s second tornado, we know that we are also very lucky,” said Debbie. “Someone in Oklahoma told us that God looks after his angels, and we do think the Gentle Carousel therapy horses are little angels.”

 

For more information and to get involved visit horse-therapy.org.

 

A patient at UF Health Rehab Hospital spends a sweet moment with a Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horse.

A patient at UF Health Rehab Hospital spends a sweet moment with a Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horse.

 

Photos courtesy of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses

 

A Magical Book – Magic Loves Me

 

Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, a former school principal, wrote a children’s book about Magic, one of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, to read to children at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Magic Loves Me is about how Magic loves friends facing different kinds of challenges. Many children have asked to keep the book, but Gentle Carousel has only the one copy.

 

“We would love to be able to give the book to the children – we have used Magic Loves Me to help children who need desperately to heal,” said Debbie. “It will cost around $5,000 to publish, but we need help meeting the printing costs.”

 

Therapy horse Magic reads with Taylor Kimmel, a survivor of Briarwood Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma. Taylor's father, Toby Kimmel, was driving to the school to pick up his first grader when he saw the tornado destroy the school. Just hours after this photo was taken Taylor was in a storm shelter and became a two-time tornado survivor.

Therapy horse Magic reads with Taylor Kimmel, a survivor of Briarwood Elementary School in Moore, Oklahoma. Taylor’s father, Toby Kimmel, was driving to the school to pick up his first grader when he saw the tornado destroy the school. Just hours after this photo was taken Taylor was in a storm shelter and became a two-time tornado survivor.

The demand for Magic Loves Me would exceed the supply in no time, considering how many people Gentle Carousel helps annually. Debbie pointed out that “sponsorship on the local and national level would be a godsend to keep the little book in print.”

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Tagged under: Alltech A+ Journalism Award, dressage, editor, eventing, florida, foxhunting, Gainesville, Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, horse-magazine, horses, hunters, jan westmark, jumpers, lauren r. giannini, miniature horses, polo, sidelines-magazine, therapy horses

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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

#dressage #equestrian #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #dressagehorse #equestrianlife #showjumping #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #instahorse #dressur #horselove #eventing #equestrianstyle #cheval #dressagerider #horselife #horselover #pferde #love #riding #jumping #pferdeliebe #horseofinstagram #horsebackriding #paard #dressurpferd
We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

 ✨ALVESTA OWAIN✨
Thistledown Arctic Lore x Alvesta Fairy Lustre
13.1hh, Welsh section B
Stud Fee $750 (plus collection)
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Fairfield, VA

Contact Cheryl Maye at (703) 431-9096 for more information
https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

📸  SAS Equestrian
‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️ The purpose of this ‼️ROB JACOBS COLUMN‼️

The purpose of this month’s column is to help the young equestrians of our sport develop and maintain healthy friendships within the industry. Cultivating healthy relationships with other members within the industry is not as easy as one may think. As a young equestrian, it may be difficult navigating friendships at the barn and at horse shows. Typically, kids have friendships within the barn they ride at but also friendships with others from different barns in their area. 

Initially, it may seem as though making other friends in the sport would be easy and ideal; after all, there is the common interest of horses. However, because of the natural therapeutic benefits of horses, the sport has a history of attracting all types of people, with a wide range of personalities. This can be both an advantage and a drawback. We are now in an era that acknowledges the growing need to discuss and manage one’s mental health. 

One thing I have learned is that we are likely to notice mental health challenges at an age younger than most people may think. Some of the friendship dynamics I have observed over the years have caused me to pause and really think about the future of our sport. Without looking for a source to blame for the cause of this, i.e. social media, parents, school, teachers, etc., I think if all adults involved worked to encourage, affirm, love, and respect our youth, the likelihood of them developing authentic friendships with their peers may increase.

Both humans and horses were designed to have connected relationships. These relationships allow a greater sense of security when one experiences challenges in life. Cultivating the quality and authenticity of these relationships requires intentional work. 

Thank you Rob for providing your helpful insight on developing healthy relationships. Check out his tips in his column you can find in the link in our bio.
Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine🦄 

Photo by Blenheim Equisports

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #hunterjumper #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #sidelinesmagzine
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