By George Mathias via SWNS
Meet the pint-sized ponies visiting hospitals, schools and care homes – providing therapeutic cuddles for those in need.
Owner Sarah Woodland, 42, was gifted two mini Shetland ponies in the summer of 2022 by a friend.
Poppy, 16, and Tinks, 17, stand at just 30 inches tall and love being stroked and fussed over.
Sarah started doing private one-to-one enrichment sessions with the pair before deciding to visit a local care home with them to encourage residents connect with the animals.
The session went so well she decided to make them both therapy ponies – to provide comfort and interaction to people who need it – and now she takes them into special schools, hospitals and care homes.
Sarah, who runs Dinky Ponies, from Oxfordshire, said: “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, it’s almost like a form of love and it gets people up and moving.”
Before setting up her wholesome venture, Sarah worked in HR in London and spent years raising her two children – aged 15 and 10 – with her husband, Nick, 50, a retired military veteran.
As her children grew older, Sarah found herself with more time and a desire to reconnect with her love for horses.
She turned to freelance enrichment, sessions before stumbling upon the idea of therapeutic pony visits.
Demand for Sarah’s one-to-one riding lessons dipped during the winter months – so she decided to try a different approach.
She said: “You’ll find people say animals are their best friends and they have sense of knowing who needs to be comforted – that’s part of the reason I decided to set things up.”
When Sarah reached out to the first care home with her novel idea in the summer of 2022, she says the response was “overwhelming”.
She said: “From day one it went absolute bonkers.
“It’s totally taken off and it’s lovely to see the amazing impact the animals have on people.
“I think it was partially the lingering effects of lockdowns when care homes had limited visitors – so the experience of having the animals in was even more valuable.”
While Dinky Ponies still does the occasional party, Sarah’s focus has shifted primarily to therapy sessions.
During a visit, people get to meet and stroke the horses.
Sarah says it’s the “profound, often unspoken connection between the ponies and the people they visit” that fuels her passion to keep doing it.
She said: “Animals have a special way about them – it’s lots of different things, it’s the empathy and communication.
“I really do believe they have a sixth sense, and an ability to know who needs extra attention.”
During a recent visit, Sarah says one care home resident was initially very skeptical of the ponies and had a table positioned protectively in front of him in bed.
Despite his reluctance, he agreed to meet Poppy and gradually, his barriers dropped.
“It was really lovely to see it from start to finish – that’s the effect the animals have on people,” she said.
Sarah has expanded and currently has seven ponies – each one with its niche.
Aside from Poppy and Tinks she also has Abby, 13, Georgie, 12, Gracie, five, Charm, 12, and Evie, 15.
She admits though that Poppy is “the superstar”.
Sarah said: “She just has a natural way of relaxing people and falling asleep in people’s laps!”
Sarah will choose which pony to take to specific events – depending on the needs of each environment.
When visiting a new facility, Sarah typically goes to the venue with one pony to assess the set up.
The ponies usually work one day a week, ensuring they are not overburdened – or over petted and are now so accustomed to the visits that they are even able to travel up and down in lifts – enabling them to visit children’s wards at hospitals.
“I want to keep on doing it for as long as I can as the ponies have such a positive impact on people,” Sarah said.
