One day in 2012, a jogger running through the streets of Philadelphia stopped to tie her shoe. While she was bent over, she felt hot breath on her fingers where they gripped a chain link fence. Startled, she looked up-right into the face of a thin, piebald pony.

No one is exactly sure how the 4-year-old pony ended up tied to a fence in the middle of Pennsylvania's largest city, but she was under-weight, dehydrated, and had hygromas on both knees. She was taken to Last Chance Ranch, a rescue in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, where she was named Rosie, restored to good health, and started under saddle training.

In December 2012, Alison Johnson, managing director of the Gleneayre Equestrian Program in Lumberton, New Jersey, made a trip to Last Chance Ranch in search of a mini to use in their new equine-assisted learning (EAL) program. GEP was already home to a successful long-term work-to-ride program for youth experiencing challenges in their lives. Due to their high standards for equine care, GEP had become a desirable home for horses in need of a second career.

While at LCR, Johnson mentioned GEP might have need of a younger pony for their working student program. Immediately, she was told: "You have to meet Rosie."

It was hard to evaluate Rosie's suitability for their programming-- the 13.3 hand pony was covered in mud, and the footing wasn't appropriate to do much work. But touched by Rosie's story, Johnson agreed to bring her to GEP. Almost immediately, she wondered if she had made a mistake.

"She was very scared of everything, very nervous and flighty," remembers Johnson. "I remember the program girls that night being so tender and quiet and gentle with her. You could tell Rosie had not had a lot of that type of interaction in her life."

At first, Rosie behaved the same way under saddle; although she never did anything naughty, she was nervous, spooky, and extremely green. But Rosie presented students with the perfect opportunity to learn and grow. Many of these young people had experienced trauma and abandonment and struggled with fear and anxiety-just like the pony.

"To be able to put their own experiences into an outlet of getting a horse to trust, and seeing how willing this horse was to trust us, and to see her flourish once she realized she was in a safe space and make friends-she just transposed her story into them," says Johnson.

With time and patience, Rosie became confident and reliable under saddle, though she never got the hang of jumping anything larger than a cross rail. She excelled in pleasure classes at horse shows (even winning the 2015 Courses by Design Horse Show series Grand Championship in English Pleasure). Soon, she became a popular mount for GEP's younger riders; Johnson says that Rosie has "not an ounce of go" in her, making her the perfect choice for students just learning to trot and canter.

In 2021, Rosie had a pasture accident, partially tearing a tendon away from the back of her knee. Her recovery required long-term layup; she was a model patient and adapted well to her restricted activity. But as she began to heal, GEP staff thought Rosie might benefit from some mental stimulation, so they began using her for their EAL classes. And this is how Rosie discovered her true calling.

"There was just something that clicked with her with these children," says Johnson. "She almost goes into a different zone-she gets calm, her ears go sideways, and she just puts her face into their chest.

"She has made such profound emotional connections with teenagers that were really shut down, to the point where I would be wondering if our program will be of any benefit," Johnson continues. "Rosie just goes up to them and creates this bond. She is truly my partner in a professional sense in doing the EAL programs."

EAL has been such a great fit for Rosie that she now does it exclusively. She has learned how to play most of the unmounted EAL games, and sometimes "solves" the problem participants are working on for them, making them feel like horse whisperers.

"EAL is where she absolutely shines," says Johnson. "She has helped young teens struggling with addiction learn how to find a new path to wellness. She has helped grieving mothers find hope. She has taught hopeless youth how to think outside the box, to find solutions that will lead them to success rather than failure.

"When we brought her home, I thought, Rosie really got the best Christmas present ever," Johnson continues. "But in the long run, we ended up with the best Christmas present."