Mini Horse Brings Joy to Patients as Abington-Lansdale Hospital’s Newest Therapy Animal

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An adorable mini horse named Dale is bringing joy to patients and staff alike at Abington-Lansdale Hospital as its latest therapy animal. Image via the Philadelphia Inquirer.

An adorable mini horse named Dale is bringing joy to patients and staff alike at Abington-Lansdale Hospital as the newest addition to the hospital’s therapy animal program, writes Sarah Gantz for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Up until now, the seven-year-old program exclusively featured dogs brought in by volunteers. However, when one of the longtime volunteers proposed bringing in her latest trainee – the 220-pound, 36-inch-tall miniature horse – administrators were happy to say yes.

“We said: ‘Well, that’s super interesting. Wouldn’t that be unique?’” said Kathleen Farrell, the hospital’s CAO.

The 14-year-old mini horse was brought to the hospital by his handler, Amy Coughlin, of Worcester. He came to live with her after being rescued from an untenable living situation.

At first, he was scared of people and bolted when someone approached him too quickly. However, after a lot of training, the animal began trusting Coughlin. Soon after she realized he had many of the same qualities as her Rottweiler, Stella, a great therapy dog.

“He just blossomed into this wonderful horse,” Coughlin said. “Dale is happy to just stand there and say, ‘OK, what do you want me to do now?’”

Read more about Dale at the Philadelphia Inquirer by clicking here.

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