Residents horse around during special visit

RESIDENTS of an aged care facility in Point Lonsdale received a visit from the four-legged kind last week.

Rosco, a Scottish Highland pony, and Knight, a Friesian horse, spent some time at Arcare Point Lonsdale on Wednesday.

Volunteer Vicci Crowley-Clough said the day was “really wonderful and better than expected”.

“I was told later that some of the old folk talked about the visit all day and that one family couldn’t believe the change in their father – he was so happy.

“Horses have that affect on people – it is magical.

“All in all we made some wonderful people a visit that positively changed them for a moment – what more could we ask?

“Interestingly too, although some were very scared of horses in their earlier lives, they all took the carrots and wanted to feed them again and again, and of course the horses thought this was great too.”

Ms Crowley-Clough, who has a farm on Portarlington Road in Point Lonsdale, said she would never forget the priceless happy expressions and the laughter of the wonderful people at Arcare.

“Special thanks to the staff who were fantastic and so attentive, and finally to Eva Nauckhoff de Richebourg, my dear friend who hovered tirelessly just in case our young horses got scared and we needed her help.

“My mother Elizabeth Crowley is a resident and felt very proud that her ‘grandhorse Knight’ behaved so well.

“We all really hope that we will be able to do this often.”