Nervous or stressed fliers at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport can get some help calming down from miniature therapy horses. NPR reports that the airport is working with a non-profit called Seven Oaks Farm to bring 34 of the miniature therapy horses to the ticketing area twice a month. This isn't even all that unusual, with more than 30 airports around the country having therapy dogs, and one, in San Francisco, even having a therapy pig.
Locally in Savannah (Garden City) is Legacy of Hope Initiative, founded by Kate Bashor, which uses specially trained miniature horses to provide therapy to adults and children inside of hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and adult daycare facilities. These horses are not nearly pets, they are horses that have received extensive training on how to be indoors and interact calmly with people. The horses undergo strict cleanliness procedures before events which include being washed from head to toe in an iodine medicated shampoo that kills germs, they also have their hooves cleaned with iodine and they are then wrapped before they go inside, these procedures have been approved by the Center for disease control and we have been allowed inside of hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities. Legacy of Hope Initiative trained therapy horses have done over 290 visits. They are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that is trying to bring joy to children and families in need right here in Savannah.