No long faces as pony visits Glenrothes care home

Residents of a Glenrothes care home have been paid a special visit by Shetland Pony, Bonny as part of a generous free call from Toppy Star Pony Hire.

Bield’s Finavon Court Care Home welcomed the miniature Shetland Pony mare to give residents a chance to interact and have fun with their new equine friend.

Nikki Reid, home manager at Finavon Court, spoke highly of the visit and welcomed the prospect of Bonny making another appearance in the near future.

She said: “It was an absolutely brilliant idea and Bonny was such a wee cutie. Residents and staff were all delighted and it completely made everyone’s day.

“It’s not every day you get a pony wandering through the development so it was nice for the residents to get an opportunity to enjoy Bonny’s company!”

At a tiny 7hh (29 inches) tall, five year old Bonny gave residents and their families more than a small reason to smile.

Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to have significant benefits for care home residents as physical contact with the animals is therapeutic, stimulates a social response and reduces stress.

Nikki added: “We already have plans for the ponies to return for special occasions and we just know it will be every bit as good as this time.

“We always try to give the residents something to look forward to and this is just one example of Bield’s ‘Free to Be’ ethos that seeks to enable people to live their lives as independently as possible.”