‘Happy little beast’ awes kids

MARTINSBURG — After entering the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library and taking a quick trip on the elevator, Trinket reached her destination. She may not have been the first horse to ever set hoof inside the facility, but her presence was warmly welcomed by visitors of all ages. “It was wonderful,” said Jane Levitan, director of youth services at the library. “We had about 50 kids.” Trinket’s visit accompanied that of local author Leah Taylor, who read from her book “Horses of the Presidents,” to the crowd that gathered during Super Saturday at the library. Both the subject matter at hand and the special guest were particularly unique. After the children viewed pictures of various presidents, such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and their equine companions, they had the chance to pet Trinket, a full-grown, 21-inch-tall dwarf miniature horse. While some youngsters were hesitant to approach the pint-size horse, others went forward in awe. A trained therapy horse, Trinket was a “gentle, happy little beast,” who remained patient and calm amidst the throng of children, Levitan said. Many of the parents at the program appeared to be every bit as interested as the youth, she added — a key factor in planning successful events at the library, since the parents accompany their children. “This was one of our events you just couldn’t stop smiling at,” said librarian Chris Bailey. “I enjoyed it so much.” Saturday’s event served as a precursor to the library’s summer reading program, which will contain lots of animals and lots of surprises, Levitan said. “If this is any indication of how things are going to go, it’ll be a pretty successful program,” she said.