Buttons
Miniature Horse
Inducted November 2002
Owned by Tony and Leslie Cunningham
Nominated by Dr. Amy Ballard
The therapeutic benefits of spending time with animals have been well-documented. Studies have shown that pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Nursing home residents who are visited by therapy animals often feel less lonely than those who are not. In fact, it is not at all unusual to hear about a dog or cat visiting residents in a nursing home or patients in a hospital as a form of therapy. But when the visiting animal is a horse that is only 31 inches tall, well, that is a bit unusual.
Buttons (full name: Hankering Hannahs Shoe Button), an 8-year-old stallion owned by Tony and Leslie Cunningham, regularly visits nursing homes and schools. In honor of his work, Buttons was inducted into the Texas Animal Hall of Fame on Nov. 5, 2002.
"To see a nursing home resident’s face when Buttons comes through their door is an unforgettable experience,” says Dr. Amy Ballard, Buttons’ veterinarian, who nominated him for the Texas Animal Hall of Fame along with colleague Dr. Marc White. “His visits provide a welcome change from routine and a much-needed distraction from pain or infirmity.”
At one nursing home, an elderly woman placed there against her will had been refusing to speak to anyone or to eat. She had been living there three months when Buttons visited for the first time. When he arrived at her room, she was sitting in a chair facing a window with her back to the door. He walked in front of her chair and stood facing her. The woman’s eyes widened as she exclaimed, “Bring him here! Oh, bring him to me!” She stretched her arms out as far as she could, trying to reach him. When Buttons approached, she threw both arms around his neck and buried her face against him, crying, “I didn’t think I’d ever get to touch or smell a horse again!” She then spoke about her childhood horses, their names, their colors, their personalities, and where she rode them. Buttons has been back to visit her several times, and the staff says her happiness lasts for weeks afterward.
Buttons also works with disabled children. One young girl had suffered multiple strokes that affected her balance, causing her to trip and fall often. When she was 4 years old, she began riding Buttons a couple of times a week, and within two months, her balance improved dramatically and her falls became less frequent. The improvements were mental as well, as she became more confident and less fearful and timid. Her doctors and parents credit her rides on Buttons for her fast and continued improvement.
Sandra McCormick teaches children with disabilities and has taken her students to the TLC Miniature Horse Farm in Paris to visit Buttons many times. The effect of Buttons on these children is amazing, she says.
"As I’ve sat back and observed the interaction between Buttons and my students, I could only define it as magic,” she says. “I have seen the inspiration, the awe, the confidence and the incredible glow that radiates from visitors of this beautiful, patient horse.”
Veterinarian Dr. Lyle Nottingham has also treated the miniature horse. He too has seen the magic of Buttons.
"Buttons has influenced countless people during his rehabilitation facility and nursing home visits and consistently proves that interaction with animals serves to booster morale, communications and self-esteem and most importantly, improve the quality of life,” says Dr. Nottingham. “Compassion is one of the most wonderful human traits, and sometimes animals are the ones to inspire that characteristic. Buttons is one of these special animals.”
