She Had Not Spoken in Three Years. Then a Horse Walked In.
have an eye for: to have a special talent for noticing or appreciating something
A woman with Alzheimer’s sat in a room at a nursing home in Florida. She had not spoken a word to anyone in three years. Then a tiny horse walked into her room.
The horse’s name is Magic. She is a miniature therapy horse who belongs to a Florida nonprofit. Magic and her team visit hospitals, and care homes for people with dementia.
When Magic stopped in front of the woman, the woman looked up. She said, “Isn’t she beautiful.” Then she said, “It’s a horse.”
The activities director began to cry and told the woman she loved her. The woman answered, “I love you too.” Those were her first words to another person in three years, and she has been speaking ever since.
Magic seems to have an eye for the patients who need her most. A heart transplant patient said Magic made her face hurt from smiling. A boy with a brain tumor pulled Magic close and told his mother, “It is like she can see inside my soul.”
Cows are doing therapy work too. The practice started in the Netherlands about twenty years ago. They call it koe knuffelen. Cow cuddling.
At a small farm in the United States, you can pay to spend an hour with cows. They have names like Crackle, Crunch, and Captain. They lie down beside you in the grass. Crunch leans his full body weight into your side. One visitor said, “It’s like hugging a giant dog.”
A cow’s heart beats slowly, around 48 times a minute. When you sit close to one, your heart slows down and cortisol levels drop too.
Magic seems to know what people need and so do the cows.
Sample sentences
My grandmother always picks the best mangoes at the market. She has an eye for ripe fruit.
The new manager has an eye for talent. She hired three of our best engineers in her first month.
“You should let Sara decorate the room. She has an eye for color.”
Read More
Magic the Therapy Horse (MY HERO)
Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses
Cow Cuddling May Lower Stress and Boost Mindfulness (Upworthy)
