It’s fair to say this piano-playing ‘therapy horse’ has more neighsayers than fans
A miniature horse called Black Pearl has been going viral after she was videoed in her role as a ‘therapy horse’ at a children’s hospital in Pasadena, California.
We’re familiar with the notion of therapy animals visiting children in hospital – usually rabbits, cats or dogs which can be cuddled and stroked to make recovering patients feel better. But Black Pearl is next level. She’s not only a horse, but she ‘plays’ piano to help bring kids round from anaesthetic.
This clip, originally shared by minitherapyhorses on Instagram, showcases her unique skills. Thanks to elina for sharing on Twitter.
Losing it over this therapy horse that vigorously plays the piano to wake kids up from anesthesia pic.twitter.com/kpF9KpEmV0
— elina (@bogwitchbooks) July 20, 2025
Musically it’s more ‘free jazz’ than baroque, but the performance certainly had people talking.
1.
if i wake up from anesthesia and see a horse playing the Piano with its face, I'm assuming the surgery was a failure and I'm Dead
— Bukkit (@Bukkit420) July 21, 2025
2.
Fucking hell. If I'm waking up from anesthesia, I want:
1. water
2. to go pee
3. probably a painkiller
4. a nice meal
5. absolutely no fucking horses, loud noises, or strangers.— Mad Minstrel (@Mad_Minstrel) July 21, 2025
3.
The first thing I see waking up from anesthesia better be noisy, chaotic, surreal and unhygienic
— Hevel (@fossilizedsaps) July 21, 2025
4.
That would be the scariest thing to wake up to after anesthesia. I'm already loopy and now I'm about to think I'm in one of those dreams you'll never be able to wake from.
— beige (@beigeink) July 21, 2025
5.
“Ok she’s in a stable condition, send her the piano playing pony”
— SUAREZ (@suayrez) July 21, 2025
6.
Everyone leaving that hospital tells their family the same story of how the drugs were so good they saw a horse playing the piano in their room.
— Arthur Fucksake (@AFucksake69) July 21, 2025
7.
I’d assume the procedure went wrong and heaven is a much different place than I expected
— Insane Graphics (@insanegraphic) July 21, 2025
8.
"put me back under please"
— Ryan Baskins (@BaskinsRyan) July 21, 2025
9.
"the patient needs horse piano to live" https://t.co/T1KSNXbIKe pic.twitter.com/NDWKIMDgjN
— /* tidu */ (@__tidu) July 21, 2025
10.
Waking up from anesthesia like you’re in a Lynchian nightmare. https://t.co/3YzGL61fNn pic.twitter.com/2Xk5cg8H4S
— Alejandro Villarreal (@alamofilmguy) July 21, 2025
11.
Can you imagine being some poor kid pumped full of drugs, waking up to a strange noise, and what you see is a horse, but the wrong size, and it looks like a nurse is trying to feed it a piano? https://t.co/2LWCOPE3R3
— Vulpine Outlaw (@Rad_Sherwoodism) July 21, 2025
12.
"It's for charity, Liz. All the proceeds go to Manes & Minors to sponsor miniature horses who play keyboards at hospitals to wake up kids from anesthesia" https://t.co/D0OIGL2xwi
— sophia of hangover (@aethelfleds) July 21, 2025
13.
Jools Holland when he joins a guest on the piano https://t.co/IiQP4LPMse
— Huw Foster (@huwfoster) July 21, 2025
14.
if i woke up to Li'l Sebastian rippin on the keys i would think i died during the procedure and was now in heaven https://t.co/zASH3817pt
— mothman's tramp stamp (@withabubblegun) July 21, 2025
15.
Aphex Twin: "Selected B sides & outtakes 1997-2011" https://t.co/AFHpGkEwc5
— so-called "Macoques" (@ressemblanch) July 21, 2025
Source @bogwitchbooks Image Screengrab