On August 3, 2007, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital pediatric cancer patients received a heart warming visit from Petie the Pony. The visit was made possible by Victory Gallop, Inc.
Victory Gallop is a non-profit organization; founded in 1995 by Co-Directors Sue Miller and Kim Gustely, in addition to David Miller, DVM. Located in Bath, Ohio, Victory Gallop is a therapeutic riding center that provides innovative and quality therapy for children with life-threatening illnesses, behavioral and/or emotional challenges.
Certainly the most visible aspect of the program is the 13 year old pony named Petie, who visits children’s hospitals twice a month every summer. After all, it’s not every day that you will see a real live pony in a hospital setting.
Rainbow patients Brandon Och, Amanda Davis, Ariana Martin, Malcolm Hills, Danielle Head, Ashley Hall, Tiami Barnes and Hector Rivera had the ability to laugh, play and find some semblance of normalcy during the visit.
Petie is the only pony in the country to visit hospitalized children.