Mini horse Hank brings big smiles

Residents at Providence Brookside Manor, an assisted living and memory care community, had a special visitor Aug. 15: Hank, a miniature horse owned by Mosier orchardist Suzie Root.
“He has always had a calm, gentle personality,” Root said of Hank. “I noticed he had a gentle spirit, especially around children, the elderly and challenged individuals, so I felt he could fulfill a wonderful ministry, bringing joy and love to those who really need some.
“Our motto is, ‘Go MAD with Hank the Tank,’” she said. MAD stands for “Make a Difference.”

Hank is a 14-year-old rescue animal and stands at 34 inches tall. In November, he will have been with Root for three years. And, like some of the people he visits, he has his own health-related challenges.
“It took over a year to get him walking on his hooves again — his toes were very long and it hurt him to walk on them, so he started walking on the heels of his hooves,” she said. He also has insulin resistance — horse diabetes — and Cushing’s disease, which she said goes hand in hand with his diabetes. Because his feet are still tender, he wears shoes.

Root and Hank have visited Brookside previously, and “that visit is always special, especially when residents come out of their shell and are able to find a smile and some joy, if only even for a few moments,” she said.
Residents fed Hank lettuce leaves — he enthusiastically but gently accepted — and reminisced about their own experiences with horses. One had a miniature horse of her own — although it was black, not white, she noted. Another recalled having met her husband while horseback riding.

“It’s interesting how people with dementia react to children and animals,” said Desirae Tarrance, Brookside administrative assistant, watching residents’ faces transform and the previously quiet courtyard come alive with chatter as Hank made his rounds to each of them in turn.

Root has converted an old van into the Hank Mobile, and the two have visited schools, daycares, preschools, senior living facilities, care centers, Hood River Saddle Club horse functions and businesses. He also visited with firefighters who were camping at the Mosier playground last year to thank them for their service, she said.

Root and Hank have been visiting different facilities for the past two and a half years, averaging one to three outings a year.
“Since Hank has several different health issues, I really need to protect him from overstimulation,” she explained.
“Hank has seen thousands of people here in the Gorge, and I hope, as his caregiver and chauffeur, (he has) enriched their lives and lifted their spirits, even if for a little while. He does mine every day.”
Root said that her family recently suffered the loss of her grandson, Cyrus Macioroski, in a Hood River daycare.

“We have been in the midst of a terrible storm,” she said. “When I tell people about Hank, I tell them that God knew what I needed before I needed it, because prior to receiving such horrendous pain, He blessed me with Hank and showed me what joy and happiness Hank could bring.
“Every time he brings someone happiness, it also helps our hearts to heal,” she said.

 

At the Brookside visit, Hank visited with a woman who, unbeknownst to Root, was the mother of a friend.
“My friend commented on my other (Facebook) photos that her mom was at Brookside and got to meet Hank and how special he was,” Root said. “She mentioned she wished there was a picture of her mom and Hank.”
Root had brought her good friend John Laptad to take photos at Brookside and serendipitously realized he had taken the very photo her friend had wanted.

“What a wonderful ending to a beautiful day,” she said.

Hank made an appearance as one of the official greeters at the Hood River Saddle Club’s Meet a Horse event on Aug. 24. His next appearance will be a trip to Horizon Christian School’s science department sometime in September.