When Faith Smith found out that six-week-old Peabody the miniature horse, may be deaf, blind, and unable to walk, she wasn’t swayed. When she was told that a veterinarian had advised his first family to euthanize him, she still didn’t change her mind.
She knew that Peabody deserved the chance to live a life surrounded by love. So she rented a van and drove across the country to rescue him.
Faith trains miniature horses for therapy, emotional support, mobility services, and love. Due to their calm demeanor, miniature horses can be trained to be excellent therapy animals and companions. But Peabody is no ordinary miniature horse. An average mini weighs between 150 and 350 pounds. Whereas, at 6-weeks-old, Peabody weighs only 19 pounds. That’s smaller than most dogs!
His mother abandoned him because he was too small to reach her to nurse.
“Peabody is the smallest horse in the world at his age,” shares Faith.
In order to be classified as a “miniature horse,” they must be less than 34 inches (three feet) tall. He has grown a little since his rescue, but Peabody’s mom isn’t sure whether or not he will get much bigger.
When Peabody was first welcomed into their home, his jaw was misaligned. Since then, his head has grown a bit, and his jaw is no longer out of alignment. He has also learned to walk. With the help of some special shoes and training with his new mom, Peabody can now walk, run, and even play.
“Horses are never indoor animals, but Peabody is so small that he could never live outside unless he gets bigger, and we’re not sure if he will. At present, he lives inside the house with the dogs,” says Faith.
Due to his small size, Peabody lives inside Faith’s home in the company of multiple pups, including two French Bulldogs. Initially, Peabody was frightened by his furry siblings, but since acclimating to his new home, they have become fast friends. Seeing them run and play together is absolutely adorable. How often do you see a horse and small dog that are comparable in size? It’s cuteness overload. No wonder he has attracted thousands of social media followers.
“I’ll keep him forever, but I hope he gets bigger so he can go out with other horses. Otherwise, he’s just gonna be a house horse,” says Faith.
While his previous family believed he was blind and deaf, only one of these conditions has been confirmed to be true. Peabody can see perfectly fine, but he is indeed deaf. Despite this, he is thriving in his new life as a happy house horse, and is surrounded by so much love. Potty training is the latest hurdle for this adorable animal, but with everything he has already overcome and accomplished, he will surely master that too.
Peabody is inspiring people and spreading joy all over the world. If you would like to keep up with his journey, you can follow him on social media via @faithfulminis. Or you can learn more about his farm by visiting their website: https://www.faithfulfriendsinsandiego.com.
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