2016 Miniature Horse WORLD Issues October/November 2016 Vol 32 No 5 | Page 58

T
mini scoop

Brain Scientist
Gifts a
Miniature
Horse for
Rehabilitation
Sedgwick, Victoria,
Australia

wo sisters had their careers as racehorse
jockeys came to tragic ends when both
suffered brain injuries from falls off of
racehorses in separate incidents within the
same year. After many years of rehabilitation, they still need constant attendance for
everyday activity. Their comfort and care are
paramount to encourage their continued recovery. Their last horse had died four years
earlier. Something was missing in their recipe
for recovery.

the other is a bit lighter boned and refined. Both were good selections, but upon
meeting the sisters, we decided that in this
circumstance, it would be better if they received the more resilient Miniature horse of
the two, “he said.

Shannon Panzo is a brain scientist and researcher who has for many years observed
and studied the human / equine connection
and interaction. He claims there is a fantastic
connection that can be established between
equines and humans because equines have
a natural empathy and can sense the deepest human emotions and feelings. It makes
equines an excellent choice for healing and
rehabilitative therapies.

Within six months of each other, the now,
former jockeys-Rochelle and Kerrin suffered a career ending ‘acquired brain injuries’ (ABIs). The two sisters both suffered
serious injuries in separate race-horse riding
accidents. Rochelle is paralyzed down her
right side after she came off her horse at a
race meet in Tasmania. Later that same year,
while returning from track work, Kerrin was
thrown into a tree when her Thoroughbred
bolted.

His interests also include bringing humans
and horses closer together for the betterment
of both.
Shannon Panzo’s wife, Lyn, was the first
to tell him about the sisters and their story.
“We came to the conclusion to gift one of
our Miniature horses, as it would be a nice
gesture and bring positive benefit to the
women,” Shannon said recently while feeding several Mini horses, “The selection process was a 2-way street.”
“There were two of our Miniatures that
were potential candidates. Both are very
pretty with sparkling personalities. One
was resilient and physically stronger, while

A beautiful palomino mare named, Summer
was chosen as the gift. Her diminutive size,
cute face, and personality made a just right
substitute for a full-sized horse.

“I thought that the sister’s lifelong connection to horses gave them valuable motivation
with their rehabilitation process. What the
therapeutic value of the empathetic equine
can bring to the human psyche is widely
known”, said Shannon. “Horse racing is
dangerous. To have a debilitating injury happen once is tragic. To have two career ending injuries within the same family, in such
a short time span, is almost impossible to
comprehend. I’ve seen how the family has
stoically dealt with the outcome of the accidents, but anyone can see a spark of joy with
the addition of a little horse into their lives.”
Summer has adjusted well to being the center of attention. “I have received reports as to
how the girls are getting along with Summer
and vice versa,” Panzo said. “It’s amazing to
see how Summer is thriving; she’s gone from
being one in the herd to being the superstar
with all the attention. You can tell the girls
love the horse. They apparently vie for who
gets to feed her.”
Although, Shannon said, “My first Miniature horse was kept in our back yard. She was
very quiet, so none of the neighbors minded.
My wife and I would often walk her around
through the neighborhood. We both enjoyed
the opportunity to have her close at hand.
Then we moved to a bigger property, and
that’s when the real fun began, including this
research that has enriched my life forever.”
He then added, “In the future, I plan to create a human/equine hands-on training to
share this useful information with others.”
Courtesy of Webwire

56 Miniature Horse World

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