If dogs are man's best friend, miniature horses might just be a close second. According to volunteers at a local nonprofit, their pint sized ponies have healing power that will give you goosebumps. Meg Bonacorsi has more in this week's "Giving Back."
AUSTIN, Texas -- Little Remington is one of about a dozen miniature horses in the Minis and Friends mobile herd.
Every Saturday the nonprofit's volunteers travel around Central Texas with their pint-sized sidekicks, bringing joy to those who need it most.
"The magic that happens between them is something you don't see anywhere else," said volunteer Jen Knutson.
That magic is why volunteers such as Knutson say they keep coming back -- week after week, year after year.
They take these little guys to visit hospital patients.
"They walk up to the beds and lay their heads right in the beds. I'm here, come on, I'm here for you. Touch me," said Minis and Friends Co-Founder and volunteer Gil Iwanski.
They're also a big hit at nursing homes and Alzheimer's facilities.
"Their caretakers and their families are just like, 'Oh my gosh, my mother hasn't spoken in six months or my dad hasn't moved his hand in a year.' So the horses bring something out that humans can't. It gives you the chills," said volunteer Lisa Cowger.
Cowger has been volunteering with Minis and Friends for about four years. She, Knutson and Iwanski teach others how to interact with the horses and the people they visit.
"These volunteers -- we try to train them not to cry because they see some great stuff," said Iwanski.
Which is easier said than done.
"We got a letter from a mother that said, 'My child said, mom I'm not in pain. And she's been in pain for a week.' That's what makes it worth it," Knutson added.
Minis and Friends is 100 percent donation and volunteer-based.
If you'd like to help out, head to minisandfriends.org
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