DELIGHTED residents at a retirement village in Painswick have been paid a special vast by Shetland Ponies, Lollipop and Tinkerbell.

Richmond Village Care Home which is located on the Stroud Road in Painswick welcomed the miniature Ponies to give residents a chance to interact and have fun with their new equine friends.

Sonia Harte, senior village adviser at the Village spoke highly of the visit and welcomed the prospect of Lollipop and Tinkerbell making another appearance in the future.

She said: “It was an absolutely brilliant idea and they were both so adorable. Residents and staff were all delighted and it completely made everyone’s day.

“It’s not every day you get to see two ponies wandering through the Village so it was nice for the residents to get an opportunity to enjoy Lollipop and Tinkerbell’s company.”

At a tiny 29 inches tall, five year old Lollipop and 10 year old Tinkerbell 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.

Sonia 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 Richmond’s ethos that seeks to enable people to live their lives as independently as possible.”