Forget therapy dogs... Mini ponies to give therapeutic cuddles

Cute ponies Poppy and Tinks have made new special friends after visiting care homes, hospitals and schools to give therapeutic cuddles.

Sarah Woodland, 42, owner of the 30in tall Shetlands said: "It's the touch and the communication - seeing and interacting with the ponies is a form of communication for people who may have difficulty talking. It's almost like a form of love and it gets people up and moving."

Sarah, who runs Dinky Ponies in Oxfordshire, added: "Animals have a special way about them - it's the empathy and communication. I really do believe they have a sixth sense and an ability to know who needs extra attention." Her business now has seven therapy ponies who work one day a week so they are not overburdened or overpetted. They are so used to visits that they are even able to travel in lifts.

After meeting residents at King's Court care home in Swindon, the mum-of-two said of the ponies: "They have a sense of knowing who needs to be comforted."