For Austin Miller, little horses lead to big smiles

When Austin Miller brings his buddy Roy to visit children in a hospital or senior citizens in a retirement community, he loves seeing their reactions even though it’s Roy who gets all the attention.

Roy is one of two miniature horses that Miller, 18, owns and has trained through Little Blessings Miniature Horse Therapy.

“It’s always super nice to see people who really need this pick-me-up receive it,” said the senior at Wichita Collegiate High School. “The kids want to touch (the horse) forever.’

“The happiness the horses bring to each person we visit is what motivates me to be a part of Little Blessings Miniature Horse Therapy and is one of the sole reasons I dedicate the time, energy, and work and volunteer as often as I do,” said Miller.

Each visit takes several hours, counting preparation and travel time.

The horses have to be cleaned and sanitized and then loaded into a trailer and taken to the destination. Once there, the horses get another brushing and put on shoes that “help avoid slip and slide action” on smooth indoor flooring surfaces, Miller explained. The horses also wear service vests to indicate they are working therapy animals. The visits themselves usually last about 45 minutes.

“I wish more people knew the benefits of animal-assisted therapy, which I witness every time I go on a visit with these amazing creatures. People, without exception, immediately have smiles on their faces and those smiles do not disappear until the horse departs,” Miller said.

While Miller has always wanted to do something to help others, he didn’t anticipate it would involve horses. Horses had become a passion for his mother, Kim, about five years ago when the family moved here because of a military duty assignment for Miller’s dad, Al, who is now a brigadier general in the Air Force.

“My mom owns a barn in Wichita and has always wanted me to be involved with horses. No offense to my mom, but I just don’t enjoy riding horses,” Miller said.

His mom, however, was providing boarding space for the therapy miniature horses owned by Katherine Rodriquez, who founded Little Blessings in December 2016.

After going on a visit with Rodriquez, it didn’t take much to rope Miller into becoming a certified handler and getting two horses of his own.

Every other Tuesday, Miller accompanies Rodriquez on visits to Wesley Children’s Hospital. The pair and their horses also visit other facilities like senior communities and the VA Medical Center.

One of the most frequently asked questions they get is if the horses are housetrained. The answer is yes, but it’s a really difficult process, Miller said.

This story was originally published February 16, 2020 at 12:00 AM.