These miniature horses are helping anxious travelers in Kentucky

A miniature therapy horse works with passengers in Kentucky.
(Image credit: YouTube.com/Humankind)

Twice a month, Wendy and Harley, two miniature therapy horses from Seven Oaks Farm, clop their way through the terminals of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, greeting travelers and easing any fears they may have about flying.

"Airports are traditionally full of anxiety," Wendi Orlando, senior manager of customer relations at the airport, told The Cincinnati Enquirer. "[Seeing animals] helps to ease those anxieties, to put smiles on faces, to just put people in a better place." Studies have shown that petting an animal can lower blood pressure and stress levels, and some airports have therapy dogs on hand to help scared travelers. Orlando wanted to try something different, and was open to bringing the horses to the airport.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.