How I bring miniature ponies to nursing homes for a living, where residents laugh while others connect with them
From horse care to pony visits
Woodland had spent years caring for other people’s horses as a groom, but had little experience with Miniature Shetland Ponies. She often noticed the small, sturdy animals on her morning commute and eventually asked their owner if she could visit.
She began offering stable-management classes, pony-handling sessions, parties, and individual visits in nearby locations, including pub car parks and fields. After her first summer, she looked for indoor work as colder, rainy weather made outdoor sessions less practical.
A first visit to care homes
To see how a pony managed indoors, Woodland first contacted a friend at a nearby children’s day care. She then called a nursing home and asked to try a visit, despite having no clear plan and expecting to learn as she went.
The ponies coped, and residents welcomed them warmly. Woodland says there was no established model for the work, so she built the service herself while learning from challenges and mistakes.
Keeping ponies calm and safe
The ponies’ feet can slip on laminate floors, so Woodland found shoes that provide grip without making the animals look ridiculous. She considers them working animals and says they should be treated with respect.
She gives the ponies a mint when they enter an elevator and works to remain calm around them. Woodland says they trust her and respond to her state of mind, so she takes care not to put them in situations where they feel unsafe.
Giving residents time to connect
Woodland limits visits to one hour for the ponies’ welfare and returns to care homes throughout the year so different residents can meet them. She prefers smaller groups with time to talk and interact over quick show-and-tell sessions.
She is also learning what residents need and how to speak with them when they see the ponies. At visits to special-needs children’s homes and nurseries, children adore the animals; Woodland has brought her sons along to help guide them.
Key points
- Woodland started indoor pony visits when colder weather threatened her outdoor sessions.
- Residents loved the ponies’ first nursing-home visit.
- She keeps visits to one hour to protect the ponies’ welfare.
- Woodland says residents benefit from having time to talk and interact with the ponies.