Tiny Tim is a special needs miniature horse — his legs are twisted at the knee. It’s a little more difficult for him to walk, but he still makes the rounds as well as any of his peers. When he was found by Kelly King, the executive director at Flames to Hope, she realized that he would need a little bit of extra love. Luckily, the guests at Flames to Hope are more than willing to give him that love.
JP, a young man on the autism spectrum, is one of those guests. He comes out to Flames to Hope with his grandparents often to see Tiny Tim specifically. JP relates more to Tiny Tim than any of the other horses. When asked about their relationship, JP’s grandmother says, “Tiny Tim is special needs himself, so they have kind of a special rapport there.” When you see JP and Tiny Tim together, that rapport becomes very apparent.
Their relationship has been great for JP outside of Flames to Hope as well. His grandparents say that the immediate connection JP formed with Tiny Tim and the other miniature horses has had a calming effect. He seems more relaxed now, and JP’s grandmother attributes it to the unconditional love of Tiny Tim and the other horses. She says, “They don’t care who you are. They don’t care if you’re autistic.” That’s certainly true. Tiny Tim and the other horses are just happy to have another close friend.
