Meet The 8 Minihorses Who Strutted Through The Rose Parade

CALABASAS, CA — For the fifth year in a row, a group of minihorses made the long trek in the Rose Parade Saturday.

The crowd went wild as the eight horses passed, just steps before the grand marshal and following a group of wild animals from "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom." For the well-adjusted horses, though, the commotion was no big deal.

Throughout the year, these same minihorses navigate high-stress environments such as hospitals and juvenile facilities. They belong to a Calabasas-based nonprofit organization called Mini Therapy Horses, which brings minihorses to hospitals and to places where people have experienced trauma or severe illness to raise morale and alleviate stress and anxiety.

"When we walk by, they scream like you won't believe," said Victoria Nodiff-Netanel, president and executive director of Mini Therapy Horses. She added: "The horses are prepared for this type of event that other horses might not be used to. They get that in their daily work; that's how we train them. [They] have to be to be able to be safe in all our situations."

The real challenge was conditioning the horses: The Rose Parade is eight miles long, enough that the horses need to prepare to walk in booties.

But the horses are well maintained year-round — both aesthetically and behaviorally — and are available on call.

"A lot of the prep work doesn't have to do with the horses, because our horses are pretty prepped all the time," Nodiff-Netanel said.

The preparation focuses on making sure decorative harnesses and booties fit the horses. A lot of administrative work is done before the parade.

Since the parade, Nodiff-Netanel has received many new requests for the minihorses. Many of the "heartfelt" requests for visits have touched her, she said. Bringing the horses to more people in need was exactly her goal in participating in the Rose Parade, Nodiff-Netanel said.

The pandemic made this year's parade a bit more difficult for Mini Therapy Horses, given their work is so dependent on face-to-face contact.

"I felt like this year was really important to be a part of because of the stress and trauma everybody's been through with this lengthy COVID situation. Every age person, young and old, is affected by this. It's global, of course, so to have this global event that's so positive and such a great experience ... was especially important this year to raise people's dreams and hopes and energy," Nodiff-Netanel said.

Learn more about Mini Therapy Horses on their website.