LogFAQs > #902375459

"When she was born she literally was 6 inches tall," Thumbelina's handler, Michael Goessling, tells CNN. "I thought there was a possum in the stall -- it was just so tiny and then all of a sudden she stood up and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. To put it into perspective, a miniature foal when born is typical 19 or 20 inches tall and Thumbelina has never achieved that height," he adds.

Owners Kay and Paul Goessling were concerned about Thumbelina's health as she was born with dwarfism, however Goessling says she proved everyone wrong and has been healthy ever since.

Thumbelina's handler says the small horse seems unaware of her size and often takes charge around the farm. She's also completely unaware of her size.

"From day one she never really came to have the full appreciation of how tiny she actually is. She's been absolutely fearless," Goessling says.

He remembers when the Guinness World Records team came out to do a photoshoot with Thumbelina and had brought the tallest horse at the time along with them.

"We brought Thumbelina out on a lead and they had 'Radar' -- the tallest horse -- there and Thumbelina all of a sudden reared up, bit him right on the nose and Radar started running away! She stands her ground and she doesn't take anything from other horses but at the same time she's always been so sweet and calm and tender with kids."

Early on the Goessling's decided to turn Thumbelina into a therapy animal. "She visited cancer patients, burn patients, they were kids that were really struggling -- sometimes emotionally -- and they'd have that moment with Thumbelina. I had more parents come up to me with tears in their eyes saying it was literally the happiest moment of their child's life.

"(Thumbelina) seems to have this ability to know the situation because these kids they'll hug her and pull on her and rub her ears and she just sits there and takes it and she'll nuzzle them."

Now 17, Thumbelina lives a quiet life on the farm, sleeping in the dog house -- using a set of doggy doors to get in and out of the barn.

"She comes and goes as she likes and she just lives in her own little Thumbelina world that has been created for her over the years."

Full Article: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/23/sport/tallest-smallest-horse-spt/index.html






I'm happy that it worked and cheered people up but I gotta admit I don't follow the logic of:

"I have terminal cancer."
"Ok here's a small horse."

It's a bit of a non-sequitur....
---

^ Hey now that's completely unfair.
https://imgtc.com/i/14JHfrt.jpg