Miniature horses bring joy to nursing home residents

Programme part of animal therapy efforts introduced here to address needs of seniors

- Theresa Tan

In late November, nursing home resident Alice Lim, 88, encountered unusual visitors - a pair of miniature therapy horses.

Summer and Friday were taken to her bedside at the Villa Francis Home for the Aged in Yishun, where she interacted with the horses, petting them and talking to them.

Mrs Lim, who is married with no children and is unable to walk due to a medical condition, said she was happy to see the horses.

This is especially so as she is on the bed "all the time" and feels that she cannot do anything.

She said the session in November was the second time a miniature horse was brought to her side in recent months.

"I said 'I love you' to the horses. They look cute to me. They are very patient," she said.

Miniature horses were taken to visit the home's residents as part of an initiative to address the needs of an underserved group: bed-bound and wheelchair-using seniors in nursing homes.

The Horses By Your Side programme was started in 2023 by Equal, a charity that runs equine-assisted learning programmes to improve people's well-being.

The seniors were seen talking to Summer and Friday, petting them and brushing their manes, when The Straits Times observed a therapy session in late November.

Summer, whose nickname is Sayang, is a seven-year-old mare (female horse) who weighs about 90kg and measures about 1m in height.

Friday, nicknamed Kopi after her coffee-coloured coat, is a nine-year-old gelding (male horse) who weighs about 110kg and measures about 1.1m in height.

Many seniors broke into a smile or were visibly delighted when Summer or Friday were taken to them by the staff of Equal.