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Puddle, kicked by a full-size horse, is now part of the program at Cocoons Day School in Kennebunk.

By DEBORAH SAYER, Staff Writer November 11, 2009

As often happens with well-intentioned, outgoing types, Puddle was standing in the right place at the wrong time when a peer dealt him a blow that literally knocked him off his feet – all four of them.

Puddle, a dun minihorse, was enjoying a successful career as a therapy animal to nursing home residents until a barn mate, a full-size horse, delivered a well-placed kick to his right hind leg.

Puddle the practitioner then became Puddle the patient. He had surgery to restore a fractured leg and many weeks of physical therapy at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine at Ithaca, N.Y., to restore the leg's range of motion.

The therapy included another big stretch for Puddle. His owner, Mary Lou Thall, relocated him from New York to Cocoons Day School in Kennebunk, a reproduction, turn-of-the-century farmhouse with a storybook-style barn.

An Auburn native, Sandy Nadeau is the founding director and headmaster of Cocoons school, which opened on Sept. 11, 2001, embracing the motto that, "if wrapped in love, children spread their wings."

A Maine Department of Education licensed program for children in preschool through first grade, the school offers child-centered curriculum by private tuition for full- and part-time enrollment, including for special-needs children. Today, it has a staff of seven educators and 70 students.

"We were determined to have animals for children who might not have pets and offer an integrated environmental program," said Nadeau. "We border 40 acres of Kennebunk Land Trust property with a wetland meadow that is alive with blueberries, cranberries and wildlife who feed on them. We take children out there every day to explore and learn to be creative thinkers and problem solvers. It's a little piece of heaven for teaching kids."

Apparently it's a haven for special needs animals too.

Thall, a horse breeder with connections to the Personal Ponies miniature horse placement program, is grandmother to four Cocoon students.

She knew of the school's hands-on learning programs, using animals to teach students responsibility and compassion for others.

"Mary Lou knew we had one stall open and available and wanted to fill it with a miniature horse," said Nadeau. "The remaining spaces are filled with a miniature goat named Daisy, three rabbits and eight chickens – all named and cared for by students.

News of Puddle's arrival caused a stir among students and their families who camped out at the site to welcome him to his new home. The group tracked Puddle's progress through four states, using a giant wall map to chart his progress. Thall checked in via cell phone every 30 minutes to update the group of the location of "The Pony Express."

"We were all cheering and clapping when the Thalls pulled up in a 40-foot horse trailer, capable of carrying four full-size thoroughbreds," said Nadeau. "I thought, 'Maybe I got it wrong and we're getting a full-size horse!"'

Moments later, a 3-foot-tall Puddle emerged from the trailer. What the 100-pound horse lacked in physical stature, he made up for in sheer charisma. He confidently strode to the farm's front lawn where children gathered around him to deliver affectionate pats and hugs.

"He wasn't frightened at all," said Nadeau. "He just stood there and soaked in all the attention. He was absolutely adorable."

Since Puddle's arrival, he's bonded with Daisy the goat and has basked in the affection of the children.

The program is getting lots of positive feedback from staffers and parents.

"Having a pony at Cocoons is such a wonderful opportunity for children to connect with animals while learning to respect and care for them," said Angie Morin, mother of Cocoon Kindergarten student Brady Morin and owner of Dream Acres Equestrian Center in Arundel. "I have personally seen what a difference 'hands on' time with horses has made in my children, the children...