Courtesy of Kroontje Health Care Center

Kroontje Health Care Center staff members and patients pet Rocket, a 3-year-old horse who visits regularly. Rocket’s owner is Mary Clifford (center).

BLACKSBURG -- A favorite visitor at the Kroontje Health Care Center in Blacksburg is a 3-foot-tall fluffy miniature horse named Rocket.

Mary Clifford, a sous chef at the center, has been bringing her friendly pet to mingle with residents of the retirement community on holidays and special occasions for almost three years.

Rocket's last visit came during National Nursing Home Week in May when a pet show was held. It's safe to say he was the only horse among the group of pets consisting mainly of dogs.

"It's very unusual to see a horse in a building, especially a nursing home," said Kroontje assistant administrator Kristi Blake.

Clifford usually transports the 3-year-old horse to Kroontje in the back of her Ford Explorer and "never in a trailer."

"You get funny looks when you go through drive-throughs," she said.

The first time Clifford brought Rocket to Kroontje, part of the Warm Hearth Village, was a couple of months after she became employed by the center in 2004. At the time, Rocket was more than a foot shorter. At first, he was actually mistaken for a dog. Reactions among residents ranged from excitement to surprise when they found out he was a horse.

"They just couldn't believe there was an actual horse in the building," Clifford said.

Rocket has since become a favorite at the center. He has appeared at Christmas time with Christmas bows in his brown hair and a blanket across his back. He has showed up at Easter adorned with bunny ears, pants and a straw hat. He has even come on the Fourth of July with red, white and blue streamers. Rocket isn't timid. Neither are the residents.

"He just goes wherever the people are," Blake said. "The residents aren't shy about expressing their affection for the horse."

Patients with dementia have been known to make inquiries about his next visit.

"It's just amazing to see their faces when he comes," Blake said. "He's a hit wherever he goes. The residents really look forward to seeing him."

Blake said she believes being around the horse makes some residents reminisce about earlier days when they were more active and often surrounded by animals.

"Some of the residents hadn't seen a horse in years," she said. "Any kind of animal really seems to bring out the best in the people."

Rocket's next visit will likely be the Fourth of July. The horse has become a fixture of life at Kroontje, Clifford said.

"All the questions I get are, 'When is he coming back?' " Clifford said.

Senior shorts

Moose Lodge bingo trip: leave Pulaski Senior Center at 10:45 a.m. Monday for the Montgomery County Moose Lodge. Registration deadline is noon Tuesday. $2 per person. 994-8627.

Movie day: 1 p.m. Tuesday, Blacksburg Community Center. Featuring "World's Fastest Indian" with Anthony Hopkins. Bring snacks and a donation to cover the movie cost. 961-1134.

Fit and Fabulous class: Tuesdays 10 to 11 a.m. beginning Tuesday and running for six weeks. Focuses on nutrition and exercise. Registration deadline is Friday. 994-8627.

Candymaking class: 11 a.m. June 19, Pulaski Senior Center. Demonstrating hand-dipped and molded candymaking. Featuring hands-on instruction and samples. $5 per person. Registration deadline is June 12. 994-8627.

Musical jam day: 1 to 3 p.m. June 20, Pulaski Senior Center. 994-8627.

Orchardside Yarn Shop trip to Raphine: leave Blacksburg Community Center at 10 a.m. June 20 and return by 5:30 p.m. Blacksburg residents, $7; others, $14. Fee includes transportation only. Lunch is extra. 961-1134.

Barter Theatre trip: leave Pulaski Senior Center at 10 a.m. June 27 for a 2 p.m. showing of "Oliver." Lunch before the play. $30 per person includes ticket into play and transportation. Sign up early because of limited space. 994-8627.

Peaks of Otter Lodge trip: leave Blacksburg Community Center at 3:30 p.m. June 29 for dinner at the lodge's seafood buffet. Return by 8 p.m. Blacksburg residents, $35; others, $45. Fee includes transportation and meal. 961-1134.

Virginia Insurance Counseling and Assistance Program. Through the New River Valley Agency on Aging, one-on-one assistance is available for Medicare beneficiaries who need help understanding their insurance coverage or dealing with associated problems. Free. For appointments, call 980-7720, or the senior centers in Radford at 731-5517 and Blacksburg at 961-1134.

Wheatland Retirement Community needs volunteers to help with arts and crafts, to file and polish fingernails and to lead a sing-along group. Other activities include reading to small groups and providing entertainment. 382-5200.

Free smoke detectors: Offered by Montgomery County fire departments to anyone who needs them. Call your local fire department or Neal Turner, Montgomery County emergency service coordinator, 394-2146.

H2U (Health, Happiness and You membership program), Pulaski Community Hospital: For $15 a year, members receive benefits at both the local and national levels. Provides health information, resources and experiences to members. For more information: www.h2u.com or 994-8418.

Personal training and fitness classes: Available at the Blacksburg Senior Fitness Center. Registration is ongoing for Personal Training, Fit over Fifty, Healthy Backs, Pilates for Seniors and Stretch, Balance and Tone classes. Fees vary. Free orientations to the fitness center available by appointment. 961-1134 or 961-1149.

Card games: Bridge, 10 a.m. Mondays; canasta, 1:30 p.m. Mondays; beginning canasta, 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Radford Senior Center. 731-5517.

Novice Knitters: 2 to 4 p.m. Mondays, Blacksburg Senior Center social room. Informal group works on a variety of needle projects. Free. 961-1134.

Duplicate bridge: 12:30 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, Blacksburg Community Center. Partners required; intermediate to advanced skill levels recommended. 552-5361.

"Lite Jazzercise": 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Blacksburg Community Center. Sixty-minute, low-impact class pairs moderate aerobics with exercises designed to improve strength, balance and flexibility. Thirteen-time pass for Blacksburg residents, $25; others, $35. Pass good for one year. 961-1134.

Pilates: 8:45 to 9:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, Blacksburg Community Center. Strengthen and lengthen the body in this introduction to the fundamentals of Pilates. Thirteen-time pass for Blacksburg residents, $39; others, $49. Pass is good for one year. 961-1134.

AARP Blacksburg: Third Tuesdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Blacksburg Community Center. 552-5818.

Quilting and Ceramics: 10 a.m. Tuesdays, Radford Senior Center. 731-5517.

Gospel singing: Public invited monthly for gospel singing of old hymns on the following schedule: 10 a.m. first Tuesdays at the Christiansburg Recreation Center senior activities area; and 2 p.m. first Wednesdays at Wheatland Retirement Center, Christiansburg. Musicians and singers welcome. Mary Dotson, 382-8543.

Party bridge: 9 a.m. to noon second Tuesdays and 1 to 4 p.m. second and fourth Wednesdays, Blacksburg Community Center. 961-1134.

Badminton: Wednesdays, 9 a.m. Pulaski Central Gym. 994-8627.

Bingo: 10 a.m. Wednesdays, New River Valley Mall community room, Christiansburg. 382-6346.

Creative Memories: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. first Wednesdays, Radford Senior Center. Features scrapbooking with leader Lynn Wright. Supplies available or bring your own. Lunch included for $15. 731-5517.

Radford Chapter AARP luncheon: 12:30 p.m. third Wednesdays, Radford Senior Center. A guest speaker will address seniors each month. 639-4571.

Seniors workshop: 9 to 11 a.m. fourth Wednesdays, Radford Senior Center. $5. 731-5517.

Blood pressure clinics: 9 to 10 a.m. first Fridays in the Betty Craig Activity Room of the Radford Senior Center. Blood sugar screenings also offered at Friday clinic. 731-5517.

Easy Motions: Less strenuous exercise class, 9 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Christiansburg Recreation Center multipurpose room 2A. Doctor's note and registration required. 382-2349.

Fun & Fit Fridays: 8 a.m. to noon, at the Blacksburg Senior Center. Billiards, table tennis, shuffleboard, basketball free throws, Frisbee, croquet, horseshoes, boccie and planned outings for other activities. Registration not required. No programs during holiday weeks. 961-1134.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance of the Virginia Blue Ridge: Volunteer consumer-rights advocacy group provides information about options available for funeral and other end-of-life arrangements, www.funerals.org/fcavbr. 953-5589.

Intrepid USA Healthcare Services: Provides free, in-home evaluations to determine whether an individual qualifies for professional home-care services such as home health aid, medical social workers and physical therapy under Medicare, Medicaid or other insurance. 961-5464 or (888) 416-1428.

H2U Montgomery Regional Hospital: Seniors 50 and older can receive national and local benefits from membership in the Montgomery Regional Chapter. Betty Jahn, 953-5291.