Need cheering up today? Hopefully this heartwarming video will do the trick.
Elderly care home residents were filmed going for a spin in their wheelchairs, towed by a Shetland pony.
Residents at Drumbrae Care Home in Edinburgh were treated to a visit from the 2ft tall therapy ponies which they were also able to have a cuddle with.
The adorable clips show residents getting pulled along in a wheelchair by the animals, who offer soothing care through their relaxing nature.
Pony Wilson, owned by Elaine and John Sangster who run Therapy Ponies Scotland, can be seen pulling residents along as John jogs along supporting the wheelchair.
Fellow pony, Flicker, also kept residents company in the home’s lounge area during the visit on October 26.
John said: ‘I had a queue of residents desperate to have a go with Wilson.
‘The wheelchair walks are a fun and exciting way for wheelchair users to fully interact with the ponies.’
The husband and wife, both 55, have owned Shetland ponies for ten years and set up their caring service to offer therapeutic visits to care homes, nursing homes, hospices and hospitals.
Based in West Lothian, they travel all over Scotland with the cute creatures, from the Scottish Borders to as far north as Thurso and Wick in the Scottish Highlands.
Elaine said: ‘We travel all over Scotland and just have great fun with the residents.
‘We go into care homes, nursing homes and hospices.
‘They’re immaculately clean ponies and it’s amazing to see people smiling when they see them.
‘It’s not just the residents that benefit from it but the staff as well.
‘We’ve been doing it for four years but have had miniature Shetland ponies for ten years.
‘We just get enquiries through word of mouth but are really busy with it.
‘We go up to Aberdeen and Inverness and have been as far up as Wick and Thurso.
‘If someone wants to have us we’ll do our best to go.
‘It’s really good.’
A spokeswoman for Drumbrae Care Home said: ‘It was lovely and very well organised.
‘The residents absolutely loved it.
‘They took time to speak to the residents and they engaged with the ponies really well.
‘He had them going up and down the corridors with them and they were super with the residents.’
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/11/02/ponies-take-oaps-on-a-ride-around-their-care-home-11025428/
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