Monday, December 01, 2008

By KIM HONE-MCMAHAN
AKRON BEACON JOURNAL

last updated: August 18, 2008 06:40:04 AM

AKRON, Ohio -- Petie the Pony stood remarkably still as his handler spritzed him with Listerine. Not to make his breath minty fresh or to fight the germs that cause gingivitis, but to neutralize any odor lingering on his shiny coat.

Richard Miller, the man doing the squirting, stuck his nose down on the pony's back and took a deep whiff. Satisfied, he gave the horse a gentle pat on the haunch.

The morning spraying was part of a three-hour routine that began the night before with a bath. Each week, Petie goes through a similar routine, preparing for visits to Akron Children's Hospital or Rainbow Babies in Cleveland.

"This is the most amazing horse you will ever meet in your life," Miller, who is Petie's handler, said. It's a phrase he would say 22 times more before the afternoon was complete.

The night before, Petie was rambunctious, playing a game of tag with Miller. At home at Victory Gallop in Bath Township, Ohio, the pony is a bit of a troublemaker -- sometimes escaping from his pasture and visiting a neighbor. But when it's time to go to the hospitals, he's instinctively calm, transforming from a spunky spirit to a marvel of patience and tenderness.

"It's just so unbelievable that he can go and do what he does in a place so far removed from his natural environment," said Miller, looking like a proud father when he talks about the 16-year-old cross between a miniature horse and a Shetland pony.

When Miller was finished spritzing, disinfecting and removing mud from Petie's hoofs, the pony was ready for a trip to the hospital.

Miller and Kim Gustely, co-director and co-instructor at Victory Gallop, a nonprofit, therapeutic horseback-riding program for children with behavioral and emotional challenges and life-threatening diseases, walked him up the ramp and into the spacious trailer. Because Petie is just over 3 feet tall, the trailer looked empty as it made its way through the busy streets of downtown Akron.

While it's common to see dogs as therapeutic pets, the folks at Victory Gallop believe Petie is the only horse in the country certified to pay hospital visits. And there's nothing like a friendly, 380-pound pony with a dappled coat to make patients forget about high fevers and long needles.

Even before he got inside the hospital, Petie's presence drew a crowd.

"Thank you for making the kids smile," a construction worker wearing a yellow hard hat called to Miller and Gustely.

People watched in amazement as the horse maneuvered through a revolving door, entered an elevator and proceeded to the hospital's burn unit. Gingerly, he stepped on the tile. To a horse, the surface is akin to an ice rink.

Though the hospital mainly treats children, the burn unit serves people of all ages.

Seventy-four-year-old Cecil Beight raised his eyebrows when Petie came through the door.

"I have buffalo at home," he told Miller, who led the pony to a chair where Beight was resting.

While Petie is the main attraction, Miller, a Cleveland general contractor who volunteers his time at Victory Gallop, is the warm-up act. To those who are ailing, he speaks softly. He's always looking for a hint that the patient is interested in or might have a connection to horses or a farm.

"Excuse me, Cecil, but you can talk about your buffalo while petting Petie," Miller teased, as the pony came close enough for his nose to be in Beight's lap. "Can't you see he is waiting?"

The New Waterford, Ohio, man chuckled and lifted his hand to the pony as he told why he was in the hospital. "I burned my feet putting out a brush fire," he said, adding that it was a stupid thing to do. "But I saved the soybeans."

Everyone chuckled.

"Cook a foot, save a bean," someone joked at the end of the visit.

Around the corner, Gary Graham of Fredericksburg, Ohio, was visibly in pain with severe burns on his legs. Still, having shown horses, his spirits brightened when he spotted Petie.

"I think what you guys do is an absolute service," he told Miller and Gustely. "It's more than can be put into words. The doctors and nurses here are the best, but having you come in here has put a bright spot in my day.

"You are a blessing from God. Thank you."

Petie's hospital visits are partially sponsored by Witan, a women's service organization in Akron; the rest comes from Victory Gallop fund-raisers.

On another floor, children rushed to touch Petie. With more than nine years of visits to hospitals, he's used to the attention.

A toddler kissed him on the nose. Another little girl touched his tail. And then there was 10-year-old Amanda Johnson of Zanesville, Ohio.

When the group entered her room, Miller saw a book featuring horses and ponies lying on her bed.

"A horse lover," he said, grinning.

Speaking barely above a whisper, she asked what Petie liked to eat.

"Peppermint candy," Miller said. Petie's eyes closed as the little girl stroked his nose.

She told him she had a horse collection and planned to place the photo of her and Petie in her room.

Miller looked directly into Petie's eyes, then turned to Amanda.

"This is the most amazing horse you will ever meet in your life," he said. "I'm not kidding you, dude. The most amazing."

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