Isle of Man hospice patients delight at 'calming' therapy ponies

Being visited by miniature therapy ponies at the Isle of Man Hospice was a "very calming" experience, day unit patients have said.

The animals were taken to visit adults at the facility's day unit as part of the services offered by Tiny Hooves Therapy.

Joyce Mackay said she had been "really looking forward" to meeting the ponies.

Fellow patient Bill Smith said their companionship "helps a lot" as they could "sense" people's emotions.

The animals have visited schools, care homes and a variety of workplaces

The small Shetland ponies Ginny and Sapphire were two of a group of 16 therapy animals bred and trained at Clarum Farm in Ballaragh by Jane Brew and Lucilla Broad, who founded Tiny Hooves Therapy in 2021.

Schools, care homes and workplaces have all been visited by the group for animal-therapy sessions, which have also been offered to vulnerable people on a one-to-one basis.

'Sixth sense'

Ms Brew said the idea to raise miniature horses as therapy animals came to her after her own experience of her mother being in the hospice four years ago.

"Every night I'd go back and cry with my horse, and just tell him how I felt, and I made a promise to myself and my mum that I would do something about it," she said.

Ms Brew said horses and ponies had "a sixth sense, they have empathy", and the response from those who came into contact with them had been "incredible".

The ponies had a "particular effect" on children where you could "see tensions go out of there body", Ms Broad added.

The small ponies have been trained as therapy animals

Hospice chief executive John Knight said the therapeutic impact of the visit was "really significant", while day unit staff nurse Sandra Bearman said the animals "accept you for who you are".

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