A GoFundMe crowdsourcing campaign has been launched to raise $20K in medical funds needed to restore a beloved palomino Mustang pony named Mai Tai to health so that he can continue to teach kids — including those with special needs — to ride. Mai Tai is known for his “calm, quiet, and incredibly agreeable demeanor,” according to the campaign.

You can dive into the gory details about Mai Tai’s GI tract-related health issue at the GoFundMe page, but the back story is that Wellesley residents such as Nicole Meyers and her son Layton (shown here atop Mai Tai) have come to know the pony and his owner Sarah Muntyan through BINA Farm, where Muntyan was a recreational riding instructor. Muntyan now teaches full time at Bella Rosa Stables in Wrentham, where Mai Tai now lives.

“I thought [Mai Tai’s story] might be one that would not only appeal to the animal lovers in Wellesley but also the families that Sarah helped through BINA. I’m hopeful there are other Wellesley families that would like to know of the opportunity to help support her as she tries to save Mai Tai,” Meyers writes.

Mai Tai has been at Tufts University’s Large Animal Hospital in Grafton since earlier this week, and doctors are said to be cautiously optimistic that he can be brought back to good health if he can be treated properly. Although Mai Tai is no spring pony at the age of 31, he could still have a number of good years left serving children if he recovers.