Mini therapy horses help trauma vicitms in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - A non-profit and their mini therapy horses are lending a hoof for those dealing with trauma or just need a little distraction.
What's adorable, musical, loveable, and uniquely qualified to dry your tears, warm your heart and speed mental healing? Victoria Nodiff-Netanel, a Calabasas artist with a background in horse dressage, has the answer.
"We go non-stop, visiting people in crisis and touring hospitals," said Nodiff-Netanel, who is also the founder of Mini Therapy Horses.
They're so unusual, so cute, that eyes light up when they enter the room.
Nodiff-Netanel started small, bringing smiles to the faces of patients in a Veteran's hospital sixteen years ago, but it wasn't long before demand grew.
"Where can we find these little horses?" People were asking, and the horses were a hit.
"They could be four years old. They could be 104 years old. The horses have a positive impact," Nodiff-Netanel shared.
Among Nodiff-Netanel's newest clients: The LA City Fire Department, where firefighters see the most traumatic things imaginable, sometimes on a daily basis.
Captain Adam Van Gerpen explains seeing a small horse instantly gives your brain a break, and is so valuable when it's processing something terrible.
"A very traumatic train accident, car accident. They can come to the scene...not only for firefighters, but for the public," Van Gerpen shared.
The horses work with the mayor's "Crisis Response Team," with Nodiff-Netanel and her large van, rushing to locations where they're needed, when trauma and violence can sometimes be too much to bear until a small horse playing a keyboard walks up, that is, and everyone gets to take a little break.
"It makes me feel so good, like all this hard work is worth it," Nodiff-Netanel spoke.
By the way, these horses are "not for profit" as Nodiff-Netanel is doing this with the help of private donations.
A non-profit, bringing cheer to people at their most challenging moments, supported by people who see the ability of animals to soothe the soul, one carefully coiffed tail at a time.
