Sometimes, a connection goes beyond obvious differences. Such is the case with Sirius, a Maremma sheepdog, and Mercury, a blue-eyed American miniature horse.
Like his fellow equine companions at Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses, Mercury is a specially trained therapy horse, providing comfort in hospitals, hospice programs, and to families dealing with trauma.
Sirius, on the other hand, is a Maremma sheepdog, an Italian livestock-guardian breed. He is part of a team of eight adult Maremmas, known as “The Guardian Angels,” who protect the miniature therapy horses on the farm. These dogs live among the herd and share a strong bond with their equine friends. However, the individual friendship between Mercury and Sirius is truly unique.
“Mercury and Sirius are different,” says Debbie Garcia-Bengochea, Education Director at Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses. “They became instant best friends.”
Mercury was born on the farm just three months after Sirius. From the start, wherever Mercury went, Sirius was close behind. “Mercury, with his tiny little hooves, needed to practice walking on different floor surfaces,” recalls Garcia-Bengochea. “Sirius had huge fluffy paws that seemed too big for his body. He needed to learn good indoor manners.”
Together, the unlikely pair learned how to walk up and down steps, ride in a truck around the farm, and stand and walk on a lead. When Mercury traveled for hospital training visits with his mother, Sirius would patiently wait on the farmhouse porch for his return.
Perhaps their bond formed because they were babies at the same time, or maybe because Mercury’s mother was comfortable with Maremmas and allowed Sirius to spend time with her foal. They began playing together, and when they got tired, they would nap side by side.
“Maremmas are an active breed that needs a purpose to stay happy,” Garcia-Bengochea explains. “They are independent thinkers and behave very differently from herding breeds or livestock guardian dogs that patrol… they form a strong attachment to the animals they protect.”
The Maremma sheepdog breed dates back over 2,000 years to the Abruzzo region of Italy, where they safeguarded livestock from thieves and wild predators.
On the farm, the miniature therapy horses’ small size makes them vulnerable to predators. Coyotes have become an increasing threat to farms near Gentle Carousel, even during daylight hours—but not at Gentle Carousel.
“If one of the dogs sounds an alarm, the entire team rushes in, ready to stand together against any intruder,” says Garcia-Bengochea. “Nothing warns predators that they are unwelcome quite like a team of Maremma sheepdogs!”
Now fully grown, Sirius and Mercury are nearly the same size—Sirius weighs around 100 pounds, while Mercury is 120 pounds. The therapy horses at Gentle Carousel are particularly small, with many weighing under 100 pounds. Adding to their unique friendship, the two even resemble each other. While Maremma sheepdogs are typically solid white, Sirius was born with spots—just like Mercury, whose unusual markings include three white legs, one gray leg, one white ear, and one gray ear.
“It’s hard to tell them apart from a distance when they’re moving together,” says Garcia-Bengochea.
Even as adults, their bond remains as strong as ever.
Mercury and Sirius now work together at Gentle Carousel’s reading programs, helping young, at-risk readers. Sirius is the only dog permitted to attend these sessions alongside the therapy horses. Their story has even been turned into a children’s book that delivers a meaningful message about friendship. Meeting them in person brings the book’s lesson to life for children.
“There is always laughter and excitement,” says Garcia-Bengochea. “They teach an important lesson for our times: just because we are different doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”
