SWAMPSCOTT — The community raised $2,765 to help one small horse that, according to its handler, has made a big splash on the town and the entire North Shore.
Fluffernutter, a 30-year-old miniature horse that’s made appearances at Residence at Vinnin Square, stood as the town’s “Pride Pony” at the 2021 Swampscott Pride Celebration, and has marched as a reindeer last year’s Christmas Parade, recently recovered from a lengthy and expensive stay at Tufts Veterinary Hospital, where it was treated for colic.
Roughly four years ago, the tiny horse’s handler, Marianne Hartmann of Swampscott, co-founded Minis With a Mission, a Swampscott-based non-profit organization that rescues miniature horses and uses them as therapy animals and public attractions.
“We bring miniature horses and donkeys around the greater North Shore and Boston areas. We bring them to nursing homes, to schools, to libraries, and to festivals with the goal of just spreading joy,” Hartmann said.
Minis With a Mission rescued Fluffernutter roughly six years ago from a miniature horse seizure in Maine. Since then, the equestrian galloped its way through town, bringing smiles to dozens of public and private events throughout Swampscott.
Last month, Fluffernutter suffered from a severe case of colic, a gastrointestinal illness that often affects horses. Hartmann said the mini horse spent seven days at Tufts Veterinary Hospital in North Grafton.
“It’s a twist in their intestine, and they can’t. They have a blockage, and they’re unable to cast manure. That can really become very toxic to them if it’s not treated,” Hartmann said. “It was a pretty close call — we were thinking that he was going to need to be put down, but ultimately, they were able to pull him out of the colic, and he passed manure, and he started to eat on his own again.”
As pleased as Hartmann was to see her beloved horse recover, Fluffernutter’s stay at Tufts cost Minis With a Mission approximately $7,000, which Hartmann said the non-profit does not have. Alongside Minis With a Mission Co-Founder Laurie Lowe, Hartmann started a GoFundMe to raise funds for the horse’s veterinary bills.
At 5 p.m. Monday, 52 donors contributed to Fluffernutter’s fund, donating quantities ranging from $15 to $400.
“As a local, all-volunteer, nonprofit, we are asking for your financial support to help us through the significant financial bills we are incurring to keep Fluff safe and comfortable. He deserves nothing less than the best care in his time of need,” Lowe wrote in the GoFundMe.
Hartmann said she was thankful for the community’s generous donations and looked forward to Fluffernutter’s comeback in Swampscott at the Dec.16 Christmas Parade.
“It’s pretty crazy and a lot of fun. We go to places, and people just love it. People say, ‘Oh, the kids are going to love it,’ but the adults really really enjoy it too,” Hartmann said. “We like to connect hands, hearts, and hopes — that’s what we do through mini horse therapy.”
