Reading with Horses kicks off June 4
The Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horse outreach includes free books for children.
Therapy horse Moonshadow is featured in the book “High Paw Super Sebastian.” The Gentle Carousel Reading with Horses summer literacy program kicks off June 4 in Ocala. [Submitted photo]
Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses is an award-winning nonprofit that is celebrating 29 years of service this year. Its teams of tiny horses bring love to thousands of adults and children each year inside hospitals, hospice programs and assisted living programs, and with families, veterans and first responders who have experienced traumatic events.
The horses work with medical professionals in oncology units, intensive care units and with occupational, speech and physical therapists — and with children who like to read.
Gentle Carousel’s Reading with Horses summer literacy program will run this year on Thursdays at 10 a.m. starting June 4 and going through July 9. The reading sessions — with the small equines in attendance — will take place in a new location this year, at Midtown Station, which overlooks Tuscawilla Park at 235 NE Watula Ave, Ocala. This year’s theme is “Kindness.”
Each week will feature a book by a different author and publisher and the equine character from that book. Reading with Horses is free to the public, including summer schools and preschools. Every child may select a new free book to take home each week.
The kickoff on June 4 will include a military color guard, the mayor of Ocala and a ribbon cutting by the Ocala CEP. It will also include the premiere of a coloring book for each child about jobs in the equine world.
To learn more, the “Gazette” did a Q&A with Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, the education director for Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses.
Why did you move to this new location?
It is a great situation as far as parking, especially for vans coming from summer camps and senior assisted living programs (because everyone is a child at heart when it comes to hugging a horse). We invite an assisted living program each week and children pick out a stuffed horse plushy to give to each senior.
Who some of the guest horses and books?
Individual Gentle Carousel therapy horses are featured in many books by different authors and publishers. After we read a book this summer, the actual character from the story will visit to “bring the book to life.” Some of the authors will also call in to answer questions from the children. The books and horses are:
- Therapy horse Moonshadow, “High Paw Super Sebastian”
- Therapy horse Sundance, “Second Chance Horses”
- Therapy horse Sparkle, “Mini Horse, Mighty Hope”
- Therapy horse Mercury, “Mercury and Sirius”
- Therapy horse Circus, “Spots”
- Therapy horse Sweetheart, “Big Horse, Small Horse”
Who designed the coloring book?
The coloring book is an educational project by The CEP’s Equine Initiative to teach local elementary students about careers in the horse industry. Thousands of copies were printed to be distributed to Marion County schools this coming school year. Gentle Carousel and therapy horse Moonshadow, who is on the cover, will help deliver them. The coloring book will make its debut at the first week of our summer reading program.
What is the most important element of this free program?
We love encouraging summer reading. Children without a summer reading routine can lose one to three months of the reading skills they spent the previous school year building. Children will be able to select a new book each week they attend and build their own little library at home.
We also love bringing horses to people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to spend time with them. So many children in the Horse Capital of the World have never touched a horse before they attend one of our programs.
To learn more, call (352) 226-9009, go to gentlecarouseltherapyhorses.com and find the organization on social media.
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