MINI HORSE, BIG IMPACT
Lollypop and Whisky help Milford teen bring hope and healing
MILFORD — In recovery herself from a severe concussion, 18-year-old Victoria DeLuca has a mission: to spread the healing power of her mini horses.
Lollypop and her foal, Whisky, are two American miniature horses that DeLuca’s parents acquired for her after the then-Jonathan Law High School junior fell off a balance beam and suffered the injury in October 2021. The two short horses — Lollypop is the one with the bushy mane — are a soothing presence in DeLuca’s life, especially since the injury still affects her today, with dizzy spells, blurred vision and occasional loss of balance that prevent her from driving, said DeLuca’s mother, Amber Torres.
“I think it (having the horses) gave her hope at life again,” Torres said. “With the concussion and her life changing, she felt almost restricted. She couldn’t do anything that teenagers could do. Her spirit was getting down. Working with the minis, her life has a purpose.”
Now DeLuca said she wants to share that hope with others. She takes the animals to visits at senior centers, public libraries and to one-on-one sessions with people who, like her, could use the comfort they provide, DeLuca said.
“It is a unique feeling going in there with the horses. It is a very uplifting
experience, feeling everybody else’s stress fall from their shoulders when they can pet them and interact with them,” DeLuca said. “They are very intuitive. They know what you are feeling and they connect to you on a level that no other animal can.”
DeLuca dresses them as unicorns to underline what she described as
their spiritual qualities, and said she senses that they also benefit from their visits with people as the horses, who are rescues, who may have suffered abuse or neglect before her family took them in, she said.
“It is magical. They spread a joy that no one else can spread. Their favorite thing is to be petted and get attention from everybody.
It helps their personalities to feel people and help spread joy to their day,” DeLuca said. “Whenever they come out of a visit their energies are different. They’re very happy. They love it. It’s their job and they know it’s their job and I don’t think they would trade it for anything.”
DeLuca’s first care visit with a mini came with Lollypop,
whom DeLuca’s parents acquired for her a month after her accident. She visited students at Law in May 2023 and found the experience enchanting, said DeLuca, who eventually graduated from The Academy in Milford in June 2023.
DeLuca doesn’t charge for her visits, but she accepts donations that so far have covered the animals’ expenses, about $400 per month. She also set up a GoFundMe page to help pay their way and advertise her service. Torres said she is proud at how her daughter has established herself as a care-animal provider.
“I think everybody is proud and surprised that she has made such a difference. She has come so far,” Torres said.