Honey’s Mini Therapy Adventures brings tiny therapy horses to Central Florida facilities. We visit Tampa General Hospital, Saint Leo University, Pasco Hernando State College, and the University of Central Florida. In addition to these organizations, we visit smaller nursing homes and local schools weekly like the Joshua House, Banyan Pediatric Daycare centers, and behavioral health facilities. In 2018 we began our work & quickly realized how our therapy horses affected dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. The horses’ smells, sight, and touch bring back long-forgotten memories. It is incredible to see and be a part of such a unique service that genuinely makes a ripple effect impact on the facilities we visit. Dementia/Autism/Cancer not only affects the individual themselves but is so hard on the family members & caretakers that love them. In 2019, we became a non-profit organization and did over 270 visits, which is a fantastic accomplishment. Unfortunately, in 2020, our organization came to a screeching halt due to the pandemic. However, we are thrilled to be back out on visits again in 2022! Our visits also impact the staff doctors, nurses, and staff within the hospital—everyone from the youngest of patients to the oldest. Including guests and family members of the patients seems to respond positively to the tiny horses. For example, in our most recent Tampa General Hospital visit, we were told numerous times, “This little, tiny horse just made my entire week; You have no idea how much I needed this.” Another staff member states, “All her anxiety and stress washed away.” If the tiny horse positively impacts someone the day we cross paths within a hospital, it’s worth all the hard work behind the scenes to facilitate our therapy visits. So many different populations/backgrounds and ages can benefit from the unique service our handlers and tiny horses provide. These horses may be miniature, but their impact on the community we serve is tremendous.
For the love of humankind.