Miniature horse comes to Kasson storytime

There was a special visitor at the Friday story time last week at the Kasson Public Library.
Munchkin, a miniature horse who also is affected by dwarfism, visited with the children while his owner, Amanda Peters of Zumbrota, read a story “authored” by Munchkin,
The children’s book, written in the words of the horse, is “Munchkin Celebrates Differences” and aims to teach children that everyone is different and everyone is special in their own way.
Munchkin, Peters said, is registered as a certified therapy animal and is the first equine allowed to visit patients in the pediatrics unit at the Mayo Clinic. She said his role at Mayo is to “help cheer up people.” He typically visits Mayo at least once a month, she said, and makes other visits such as last week’s stop in Kasson. In the past his visits outside of Mayo have primarily been limited to the Zumbrota area, she said, but this year he is expanding his reach to schools, libraries and hospitals in other southeastern Minnesota areas.
He also appeared on Rochester TV in October, Peters said.
Because of his dwarfism, Peters said, he is much smaller than even a regular miniature horse. Weighing 115 pounds and the size of a large dog, he easily came into the library for the story time.
Munchkin, Peters told the children, is nine years old and was born in Columbus, Ohio. He came to Minnesota when he was three months old. At the time, she said, he could be carried like a dog.
When he makes his visits, Peters said, he travels in a minivan. Because of his small size he can’t get into the minivan on his own and needs a ramp. He is now totally white, she said, but when he was younger, he also had black and brown fur.