Editor's Note: NBC 7 is sad to report Peabody passed away following their segment with "The Kelly Clarkson Show."
Peabody the miniature horse is tiny -- and we do mean tiny. At 16-and-a-half inches tall, his owner Faith San Severino, of Bonsall, California, says he is the smallest miniature horse in the world.
But that's not why he and his miniature friends have gained nearly 1 million followers on Tik Tok (OK, maybe it has a little to do with it; he's darn cute).
More importantly, Peabody inspires people around the world with his story.
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You see, doctors said Peabody was not going to survive, his owner said. At three-days-old, he had so many health issues that he was going to be put down.
"He couldn't walk. He couldn't eat because his jaw was out of alignment. He was deaf. They thought he was blind," San Severino said. "I thought, 'Well, if they're going to put him down, I'm going to take him home and we'll give it a shot' because he had a real will to live."
San Severino created special shoes to accommodate Peabody. He grew into his jaw and can eat again. His eyesight has improved. He is still deaf, doctors say. But maybe it's just "selective hearing," San Severino jokes.
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Now, Peabody and his friends provide emotional support to Alzheimer's patients and veterans through San Severino's business Faithful Minis. The miniature ponies, like Peabody, are trained to provide therapy, mobility services and, of course, a little joy to patients.
And videos of the little guy have gone viral on Tik Tok, allowing his inspiration to spread across the globe.
So much so that it caught the attention of NBC's Kelly Clarkson Show.
Peabody and San Severino were featured on NBC's "The Kelly Clarkson Show" on Thursday. Watch on NBC 7 weekdays at 2 p.m. PT.
