If you’ve been following along, you may have noticed that we have been featuring some horses in our “Spotlight” series, but today, we are switching it up a little and starting a series that will feature “Horse Heroes” in honor of this year’s Breyerfest 2019 theme and, of course, the heroes themselves!
The scene is noisy and the lights are bright. People wearing white and blue uniforms are bustling through the hallways, while four wheeled beds and carts are being pushed down the corridors. The double doors open automatically, heads turn to see what is coming next and in walks Magic, a miniature black horse with blue eyes and a white blaze on her face. The atmosphere immediately changes and the mood goes from despair to hope instantly.
Magic is a therapy horse and her job is to bring joy and comfort to patients at various places such as hospitals, nursing homes and catastrophe areas. She helps her patients take their minds off of their illnesses and grief even if for just a moment. Actually it is a remarkable healing encounter when patients meet her or any rescue animal.
The bond seems to be immediate with anyone who is around these miniature heroes. On one visit, Magic met an elderly woman who had not spoken a word in three years. Once the woman saw the horse, she opened her mouth and asked, “Isn’t she beautiful?” Horse therapy helps children with autism, communication and motor skills plus it lowers stress levels and builds confidence in all who come in contact with these little heroes.
TIME magazine named Magic one of the ten most courageous animals in history. Magic’s training has taught her to ride in elevators, work in small spaces, walk on uneven floors, go up and down stairs, maneuver around equipment, not react to unusual and sudden noises and remain calm in crowded situations, just to name a few.
Thanks to their small size and sweet temperament, minis can be trained to be excellent therapeutic animals. The miniature horse is even recognized as a service animal by a special law known as the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Breyer Animal Creations has immortalized these little heroes with models of their own, called Magic and Hamlet. Magic works for Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses in her home state of Florida. In 2015 she was inducted into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame.
Breyer Models Hamlet and Magic 
I guess it goes to show that good things do come in small packages and heroes can come in many size. She really does bring the “magic” to many people’s lives.
