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Photographed by James Pomerantz
Every Friday, Petie makes his rounds--all three feet, 400 pounds of him. When there's a horse on the floor, word spreads quickly. And Petie just seems to know when he's needed. He'll walk right up to a child, put his muzzle on the bed or nuzzle his leg, and he’ll stay close as long as the child will let him. Each kid gets a photo, so he can prove it, and a miniature stuffed Petie.
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
When Petie isn't working, he hangs out on the farm with the horses at Victory Gallop, a therapeutic riding program for kids in Bath, Ohio.
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
At Victory Gallop, kids as young as three, who have disabilities, behavioral or emotional issues, even life-threatening illnesses, learn to ride horses. Sue Miller and Kim Gusteley started the program in 1995.
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
Before Petie goes into the hospital, he gets a special grooming. He's shaved, shampooed and sprayed with Listerine (the antiseptic eliminates his natural horsey smell).
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
Then his hoofs and tail are covered with bandages, which come off before he walks through the revolving doors (yes, he fits!). The process takes his handler, Richard Miller, about an hour.
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
Petie usually spends about two hours at the hospital. By then, he's tired and has to go to the bathroom. "He gives the signal," says Sue, 'and we know it's time to go."
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
"At first the kids are shocked," says Sue Miller, one of Petie's handlers. "And then when Petie walks up to the bed and nuzzles them, they'll usually giggle. Sometimes a parent will tell us, ‘This is the first time he's laughed in weeks.'"
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
Kids groom the horses -- including Petie the Pony -- at the Victory Gallop stables. "They can only ride if they learn to take care of the horses," says Sue.
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
But the feel-good effects last a whole lot longer than Petie's visit. "When kids call home, they have something to share besides 'I saw the doctor,'" says Sue. "They can say, 'A horse came to my room today. And if they smile, even for a moment, we've done something good."
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Photographed by James Pomerantz
For sick children in two Ohio hospitals, Petie the Pony is just what the doctor ordered. He trots right into kids' hospital rooms, to comfort them and cheer them up when they need it most.
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