People with dementia experience joy of horses at RDA Wakefield ‘Tea with a Pony’ event
and live on Freeview channel 276
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Four guests and their carers had cake and a cuppa whilst watching horses on Tuesday.
They also had the opportunity to pet Bill, one of the resident horses at the stables.
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Hide AdCarol Blake, centre manager at Wakefield RDA, said: “The event was really nice and relaxed.
"We had a rider session take place in the yard so the families had something to watch whilst enjoying some tea and cake.
"Our guests got to pat one of our horses where you could see the change in their body language and watch the calmness wash over them.
“One of the carers told us that it gave them a purpose to leave the house.
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Hide Ad"Sometimes it is easier to just sit at home but this gave them a reason to get the wheelchair out and come outside for a bit.”
The RDA created Tea With a Pony in response to the growing number of people living with dementia, for whom horse-riding may not be suitable but might be helped by some other form of animal-assisted activity involving horses.
It is a simple yet very effective session for those living with memory loss to enjoy a cup of tea and cake at participating RDA groups, while revisiting memories from years gone by.
Tea with a Pony began at Cotswold RDA in 2018 and it found some participants had a deep connection with horses.
Wakefield RDA hopes to hold another tea with a pony session before the end of October.
To keep up-to-date, visit its Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WakefieldRDA.
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