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Therapy Page Posts A Pic Of A Black Girl With A Horse, Receives Racist Comments, Shuts Them Down
Interview
When the Gentle Carousel miniature horse therapy charity posted a photo of a child with a horse named Sparkle, probably the last thing they expected was that the following day they would have to do a post about how it’s not okay to verbally attack kids for the color of their skin. While most people responded to the adorable photo of the kid and therapy horse with support and love, there were some social media users who spewed hatred at the child. So much so that the Gentle Carousel team had to delete their comments and ban them.
“When our horses make a hospital visit they do not care about a patient’s race, politics, finances, or religion. They love unconditionally. Some humans could learn a lot from little horses,” the Gentle Carousel team wrote, suggesting that all of us could stand to be a bit more equine.
Gentle Carousel’s Education Director Debbie Garcia-Bengochea told Bored Panda that the charity has never had to deal with comments like this before. “The therapy horses are loved by children and adults, and our social media has always been a positive and safe place for people of all ages.” Scroll down for the rest of the interview and to learn more about the therapy horses, including Sparkle.
More info: Facebook | Instagram | GentleCarouselTherapyHorses.com
RELATED:
The Gentle Carousel charity posted this photo on June 9
Image credits: Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses
A lot of people thought that the photo was beautiful. However, there were some haters out there. The charity addressed this issue in their next post
Garcia-Bengochea told us that Sparkle is 14 years old and started training with the charity as a foal. “He works with Gentle Carousel’s literacy program inside schools, libraries, with mentoring programs, at literacy events and at education resource centers in high crime neighborhoods. The program has a special focus on at-risk readers. Sparkle also works inside hospitals, hospice programs, and assisted living programs.”
She continued: “The therapy horses work no more than two days a week and live with a lifelong herd where they can run and play over many acres. They live a very natural life. Sparkle has a best friend named Circus that he has lived with since they were both foals. They do many reading programs for children together.”
The charity’s Education Director confirmed to Bored Panda that they currently have 21 therapy horses in the US. “Working indoors would be a challenge for any horse but Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses make it look easy, even in high rise hospital buildings, schools, and convention centers. The therapy horses walk up and down steps, ride in elevators, walk on unusual floor surfaces, carefully move around hospital and television studio equipment, work in small patient rooms and stay calm around unexpected sounds like ambulances, alarms, and hospital helicopters… and yes they are house trained,” she went into detail.
“The therapy horses go through a two-year basic in-hospital training program but are always learning new skills. The horses work with medical professionals in oncology units, the ICU, and with occupational, speech and physical therapists as part of the treatment for patients who have suffered strokes, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, amputations, and burns.”
This is Sparkle, one of the 21 miniature therapy horses
Image credits: Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses
The miniature horse therapy page also deleted anyone who commented that the child’s face mask should be removed. They also pointed out that wearing a face mask isn’t a political statement but one of compassion.
Miniature horses live between 25 to 35 years old, like usual horses and ponies. Diet is very important for miniature horses, so Gentle Carousel gives them plenty of pasture time. That’s easy to do considering that the charity is based in Florida where the weather is great.
Gentle Carousel is one of the biggest equine therapy programs on Earth. Each year, teeny teams of tiny horses visit more than 25k children and adults in hospitals and hospice programs. The tiny horses also visit veterans and first responders who have been traumatized in their line of duty.
The charity also runs a literacy program—Reading Is Magic. Mentors work with young readers alongside horses to help raise the literacy rate in high crime neighborhoods.
One of the best-known horses is Magic who has helped families and first responders who were affected by events at Sandy Hook Elementary School, as well as by what happened at the Pulse nightclub. Magic is a real hero-horse.
Gentle Carousel does everything for free, doesn’t receive any funding, and relies solely on donations.
Here’s how people reacted when they heard about the haters
Even more people came out in support of the charity
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Share on Facebook What do you think ?
deanna woods 5 years ago
I don't understand how you can look at this picture and see anything but an adorable little girl standing with an adorable little horse. People are filled with so much hate and resentment that they don't know how to feel anything else.
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
It is oppressing, i'm feeling overwhelmed by cuteness, such pictures should be forbidden. There is a high melting risk.
Load More Replies...
glowworm2 5 years ago
Seriously? All I see is a lovely little girl with a lovely little horse. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. Cheering up a sick little girl with a visit from Sparkles.
Night Owl 5 years ago
Me too. It's a beautiful, lovely photo full of compassion and hope
Load More Replies...
Thomas Register 5 years ago
Guess I'm two-faced. One face feels a swelling in my heart at the child and miniature horse. The other face wants to physically beat the c**p out of the trolls.
Helen Haley 5 years ago
I don't know, I think that is the appropriate response.
Load More Replies... Hans 5 years ago
There is so much hate in some people...in way too many people. Indeed, they could learn from those horses. Or from pets. Or children. Or from anyone who strives for joy instead of anger.
Kathy Baylis 5 years ago
Only the true losers in our midst react with such vileness, and spew that kind of filth. They’re people who burn to be superior, yet have nothing besides the racist social construct of skin color as “proof” of it—-without understanding how utterly wrong and outdated that construct is. Their concept of the “good old days” were only good for a tiny minority of the population, and that backwards is never the way to go. It truly saddens me that their brand of filth spewing has become so common now that I don’t even need to see the actual comments to know what they said, practically word for word.
Load More Replies...
A 5 years ago
The fact that anyone could see this cutie pie beauty with her butterfly top and bow in her hair and think such ugly thoughts is truely revolting. Meeting a tiny horse was probably such a thrill for her. I hope she never learns how awful people can be. Wearing masks for protection is science. Nothing else.
Pirun Chitrudi amphai 5 years ago
It's an animal and a little child. The combination of the most adorable being in the world! How can someone hates them or force politic on them.
DC 5 years ago
The most surprising - some see a mask as a political statement. Sadly, this is not the worst of it....... Humans suck.
Toasty 5 years ago
This drives me insane, even more so than the people who wear masks on their chins, at least they kind of tried. I am young, healthy, and lean conservative, yet I wear a mask anytime I am in public, and at all times while working at my job. The virus doesn't care about who you vote for, please don't be an inconsiderate a*****e, and just wear a mask. They aren't comfortable, they are annoying, they look stupid, but wear them anyway. There, I'm done, rant over.
Load More Replies...
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
You are the lowest of the very low, the scum of the earth, not even comparable to dog c**p if you make fun of someone let alone a sweet and innocent child for the colour of their skin. The sickos who are foaming at the mouths about a sweet photograph of a little girl and a tiny horse spreading joy to ill children are probably the same racists "protesting for their rights" to get a haircut. Humans can stand to learn so very much from animals who show unconditional kindness, love, and empathy to everyone despite race, sexual orientation, gender, age, politics, religion, etc.
deanna woods 5 years ago
I don't understand how you can look at this picture and see anything but an adorable little girl standing with an adorable little horse. People are filled with so much hate and resentment that they don't know how to feel anything else.
cassiushumanmother 5 years ago
It is oppressing, i'm feeling overwhelmed by cuteness, such pictures should be forbidden. There is a high melting risk.
Load More Replies... glowworm2 5 years ago
Seriously? All I see is a lovely little girl with a lovely little horse. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about. Cheering up a sick little girl with a visit from Sparkles.
Night Owl 5 years ago
Me too. It's a beautiful, lovely photo full of compassion and hope
Load More Replies... Thomas Register 5 years ago
Guess I'm two-faced. One face feels a swelling in my heart at the child and miniature horse. The other face wants to physically beat the c**p out of the trolls.
Helen Haley 5 years ago
I don't know, I think that is the appropriate response.
Load More Replies... Hans 5 years ago
There is so much hate in some people...in way too many people. Indeed, they could learn from those horses. Or from pets. Or children. Or from anyone who strives for joy instead of anger.
Kathy Baylis 5 years ago
Only the true losers in our midst react with such vileness, and spew that kind of filth. They’re people who burn to be superior, yet have nothing besides the racist social construct of skin color as “proof” of it—-without understanding how utterly wrong and outdated that construct is. Their concept of the “good old days” were only good for a tiny minority of the population, and that backwards is never the way to go. It truly saddens me that their brand of filth spewing has become so common now that I don’t even need to see the actual comments to know what they said, practically word for word.
Load More Replies... A 5 years ago
The fact that anyone could see this cutie pie beauty with her butterfly top and bow in her hair and think such ugly thoughts is truely revolting. Meeting a tiny horse was probably such a thrill for her. I hope she never learns how awful people can be. Wearing masks for protection is science. Nothing else.
Pirun Chitrudi amphai 5 years ago
It's an animal and a little child. The combination of the most adorable being in the world! How can someone hates them or force politic on them.
DC 5 years ago
The most surprising - some see a mask as a political statement. Sadly, this is not the worst of it....... Humans suck.
Toasty 5 years ago
This drives me insane, even more so than the people who wear masks on their chins, at least they kind of tried. I am young, healthy, and lean conservative, yet I wear a mask anytime I am in public, and at all times while working at my job. The virus doesn't care about who you vote for, please don't be an inconsiderate a*****e, and just wear a mask. They aren't comfortable, they are annoying, they look stupid, but wear them anyway. There, I'm done, rant over.
Load More Replies... Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 5 years ago
You are the lowest of the very low, the scum of the earth, not even comparable to dog c**p if you make fun of someone let alone a sweet and innocent child for the colour of their skin. The sickos who are foaming at the mouths about a sweet photograph of a little girl and a tiny horse spreading joy to ill children are probably the same racists "protesting for their rights" to get a haircut. Humans can stand to learn so very much from animals who show unconditional kindness, love, and empathy to everyone despite race, sexual orientation, gender, age, politics, religion, etc.
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