Sarah Woodland in the U.K. runs a team of therapy ponies, bringing "joy" and "humor" to senior citizens in need of a mental health boost and a bit of company.
Pint-sized ponies — as part of a therapy team — are visiting hospitals, schools and care homes, and providing therapeutic cuddles for those in need. Owner Sarah Woodland, 42, received two mini Shetland ponies in the summer of 2022 from a friend, as SWNS, the British news service, reported. Poppy, 16, and Tinks, 17, stand just 30 inches tall and enjoy being fussed over, the outlet noted.
Woodland started doing private one-on-one enrichment sessions with the pair before deciding to visit a local care home with the animals to encourage residents to connect for a mental health boost. DEMENTIA ADVICE: HERE ARE 16 SAFE THINGS TO SAY TO YOUR LOVED ONE The session went so well, Woodland decided to make them both therapy ponies. Providing comfort and interaction for those who need it, she now takes the animals into special schools, hospitals and care homes.
A pony spends some time with a senior citizen. "Seeing and interacting with the ponies is a form of communication for people who may have difficulty talking. It's almost like a form of love, and it gets people up and moving.
" (SWNS) Woodland runs Dinky Ponies from Oxfordshire. "It's the touch and the communication. Seeing and interacting with the ponies is a form of communication for people who may have difficulty talking," she told SWNS.
"It's almost like a form of love .