Equine therapy brings joy to care home residents

Residents at Wykebeck Court Bupa Care Home were recently treated to a visit from Poppy the miniature pony from KL Pony Therapy.

The miniature pony visited the Leeds-based care home where staff and residents were able to groom, pet and talk to Poppy from the comfort of their armchairs. This heartwarming experience brought smiles to the faces of the residents; carers said it was a day filled with laughter, warmth, and a sense of companionship.

Activities Coordinator Cheryl Ripley, who helped organise the visit, commented: "Our residents were absolutely in awe of Poppy, and they haven’t stopped talking about her. During the visit, some of our residents had the opportunity to chat and reminisce about childhood memories of being around ponies. It was a wonderful experience and we're thrilled to have created such beautiful memories for our residents."

Bernice Paul, a resident at Wykebeck Court, said: “What an amazing treat. The pony made my heart melt, she was very cute and well behaved.”

Dianne Hashmi, Home Manager at Wykebeck Court, said: "Bringing moments of joy like this to our residents is something we take great comfort from. We're grateful for the opportunity to create special memories and we look forward to more lovely moments in the future."

Pet therapy using ponies offers significant benefits due to their emotional intelligence which triggers the release of endorphins that provide calming effects.

KL Pony Therapy is a local family run business with many years of experience in providing ponies and pets with the best standard of care.

click here for more details or to contact Wykebeck Court Care Home