SALEM — Schoolchildren grinned and shrieked with delight as Curley trotted into a Bentley School driveway.
The draft horse visited the Early Childhood Center at the school yesterday, where his owner, Ruth Wall, talked about Curley's love of peanut butter sandwiches and his home in the barn.
"I went to the big scales at the Topsfield Fair where they weigh giant pumpkins," Wall told the children who sat in a line on the curb gazing up at the giant horse, "and I found out he weighs 1,700 pounds."
The students, who are ages 3 to 5, got the chance to climb onto an overturned bucket and pet Curley, one by one.
"I liked him 'cause he's soft," said Sean Salamida, 4, who hugged the horse and affectionately nuzzled his face into his furry, white coat.
"It gives the children a quiet time with one animal," Jane Dwyer, part-time director of the Early Childhood Center, said as the children took turns petting Curley.
Dwyer said the horse's visit supplemented a farm unit the children are studying.
"It's not easy paying for buses to go on field trips," Dwyer said, "so we brought the farm to us."
Wall, who operates Friendship Carriage Tours in Salem and Rockport, told the children that Curley is tall enough to see over cars and that he's not scared of dogs, motorcycles or the commotion of the city.
Curley, 11, is a Percheron horse, which is one of the draft breeds. Wall said he got his name because he grows a furry, fuzzy winter coat that "almost looks like a sheep," which he sheds in the spring.
"He was very soft," said Grace Milano, 5. "I thought he was pretty big."
Wall fielded a variety of questions from the children, including: Why is he so big? Does he wear shoes? Does he have a rat friend?
She and Curley made an appearance during the morning and the afternoon session at the school.
"It's great for them to be able to be up close to a large animal and just feel that strength and warmth," said Wall, who lives in Salem. Curley lives in a stable in Rockport, she said.
"I pet the horse — it's fun," said Cindy Shehu, 4. "(He's) fun to look at."
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