Tiny Trotters Earn Qualification from American Miniature Therapy Horse Association
June 14, 2026
Four miniature horses from Tiny Trotters and their handlers have earned official qualification from the American Miniature Therapy Horse Association (AMTHA) after completing a Therapy Horse Clinic held June 6 at Mini Blessings Farm.
Every Tiny Trotters horse and handler who participated passed the AMTHA Qualification Standards, a benchmark designed to ensure that miniature therapy teams are ready for real-world visits to hospitals, care facilities, and public spaces.
Setting the Standard for Therapy Teams
AMTHA was the first organization to establish formal Standards of Operations and Behaviors for miniature therapy equine teams and to offer a qualification evaluation built around those standards. Rather than assessing the horse alone, the evaluation looks at the horse and handler together as a single team, testing them across a range of situations and settings to confirm they have the skills, temperament, and judgment to safely visit institutional facilities, public venues, and private homes.
During the clinic, each team navigated a course built to mirror the obstacles a horse might encounter on an actual therapy visit. The setup included stairs, varied flooring surfaces, and a teeter-totter to simulate the motion of an elevator. Teams also worked through balloons, a mock privacy curtain, hula hoops standing in for oxygen hoses, wheelchairs, and walkers, while volunteers acted as patients making loud noises and sudden arm gestures.
Meet the Qualified Teams
The Tiny Trotters horses that passed were Tater Tot, Sugar Cookie, Blueberry Muffin, and Nutmeg. The members who qualified alongside them were Sharron Dillard, Carolyn Dye, Michele Bassetti, and Sharon Meyerhofer.
Serving the Community
Tiny Trotters Therapy Horses regularly visit nursing homes, schools, day cares, assisted living centers, and community events across the area. The group is also part of the “Just Say Whoa to Bullying Program,” which takes a distinctive approach to bullying prevention by helping children recognize and respect the differences in one another.
Residents and organizations interested in learning more or scheduling a visit can reach Sharron Dillard at (864) 871-1744 or [email protected].
