The residents of Noble Senior Living recently had a special one-hour visit from a set of miniature horses named Harmony and Radar, both three years and eight months old.
Harmony and Radar, although young, are very well-trained for such visits by Debi Koechner, owner of Majestic Miniatures Equine Services LLC. Koechner is currently training another miniature horse named Miracle, who will be three years old in March. Part of the training is to teach the horses to tolerate touch all over, said Koechner.
The horses frequently visit senior centers, school groups, veteran centers, and more, providing education, entertainment, or therapy services.
Koechner offers a program called Smart Start that teaches anyone over the age of five years old about how to care for a horse. It’s a way to introduce someone interested in owning a horse to the responsibilities.
Although they work hard, the horses are well taken care of and get ample time for rest, relaxation, and fun on the farm.
Koechner explained, “The horses get to hang out and chill the next day after a visit. We believe in keeping the visits a great experience for everyone and not overworking any one horse.”
At Noble Senior Living, the residents certainly gave Harmony and Radar a whole lot of petting, brushing, and love. Several residents were once horse owners and had an immediate rapport with both miniatures.
Sandi Buchanan, a resident at Noble Senior Living, said she had been waiting excitedly for the horses’ visit for two weeks, and she was happy that everyone got to pet the horses at least twice!
Koechner is working on establishing a 501c3 so that the miniature horses can spread more joy around the county.
Learn more about Majestic Miniatures at https://www.majesticminis.com/.
