Seniors homes are accustomed to getting visits from therapy pets. But a four-legged visitor at a home for veterans in Moncton is taking residents on a heartwarming ride down memory lane.
“I saw how good they are for people. They spread so many smiles,” said Aimee Hutchinson who started taking her miniature horse named Party to visit seniors at the Veteran’s Health Centre last fall.
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She said she was inspired to train Party as a therapy pet because he has such a calm and gentle nature.
“Party is made to do this. He is made to make people smile,” said Hutchinson.
Veronique LeBlanc is the centre’s activity worker. She said several of the seniors in the home are more than 100 years old and grew up with horses.
Party’s visits, she says, reminds residents of their lives back home on the farm.
“Most of them grew up around horses but most of them have never seen a small horse,” said LeBlanc.
101-year-old Douglas Kieirstead lives at the home. He said he grew up raising horses and was thrilled to meet little Party.
“That is something a little on like that,” said Keistead.
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Hutchinson said she has trained Party to have a strong bond with her as his handler which helps him to remain calm in a setting not typical for a horse.
“This is party’s job and I am the lucky person who gets to bring him to do it,” said Hutchinson.
“It’s an overwhelming sense of gratitude.”
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