Bringing a smile to the elderly, it's the National Hoof Service! Specially trained horses and alpacas meet care home patients

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The therapeutic benefits of taking cats and dogs into care homes for residents to stroke and hug have long been recognised.

But pensioners are now getting the chance to meet donkeys as an alternative to traditional activities like playing bingo and watching television.

Four of the animals are being taken into care homes by an organisation set up by a woman who saw how much pleasure they brought her elderly mother.

On a recent visit, two donkeys visited St John’s care home in Norwich.

Miniature Falabella therapy horse Alfie, 6, meets resident Nora Gillner, 93, at the Lawns care home in Leicester. Miniature Donkeys for Wellbeing bring horses, donkeys and alpacas to visit

Pippa, two, and 15-month-old Pixie were petted in an outdoor portable pen by some of the 22 residents before they were taken inside on leads to meet others.

Pamela Beckett, 81, who has Alzheimer’s, beamed with delight as she hugged the donkeys in front of her visiting daughter and granddaughter. Afterwards, she said: ‘It was lovely, it made my day.’

Her daughter, Nicky Baldwin, 53, said: ‘Mum can sometimes be reluctant to get out of bed but the lure of meeting the donkeys got her up and dressed.

‘She loves animals. Her grandparents had a farm and she always had domestic cats and dogs, so it is a brilliant experience for her.

Alfie meets Sue Gutteridge, 69. The organisation was set up by Sarah McPherson, 54, after she saw the positive effect animals had on her late mother Patricia Little who died aged 86

‘She will have no memory of the donkeys by this afternoon. What counts for her is living in the moment.’

The home’s entertainment manager, Fiona Mawby, said relatives of residents were encouraged to bring in dogs but donkeys are ‘something completely different’.

‘This is the second time we have had them in. The donkeys are brilliant and it is a delight to see our residents interacting with them,’ she added.

Miniature Donkeys for Wellbeing was set up by Sarah McPherson, 54, after she was inspired by the positive effect they had on her mother Patricia Little, who died aged 86 last April.

Mrs Little, who had vascular dementia, and her husband Ian, moved from Leicester into a Norfolk care home two years ago.

Miss McPherson, of Hempnall, Norfolk, said: ‘My parents would visit me and the donkeys would make my mum laugh and smile.

Pixie, the 15-month-old miniature donkey befriends Pamela Beckett, 81, at the St John's care home in Norwich. Her daughter, Nicky Baldwin, said: ‘She will have no memory of the donkeys by this afternoon. What counts for her is living in the moment'

‘After a year or so, I decided to take the donkeys to their home and it worked really well. All the residents really appreciated it.’

She quit her job as a support worker for mental health carers after her mother’s death so she could carry out her donkey visits full time and launched her social enterprise business in June.

Since then she has taken her miniature Mediterranean donkeys Pippin and Pixie, and their mothers Saffron, seven, and Bo Peep, six, on visits to 52 care homes.

She asks for donations of around £150 plus mileage costs for each visit and limits herself to a maximum four trips a week.

‘We clean the feet of the donkeys before they go inside so they don’t leave footprints on the carpets,’ she explained.

Resident Kelly Baker meets donkey Dermot at the Bath Care Home. Sarah quit her job after her mother's death to carry out donkey visits full time

‘They have rock solid temperaments and an extremely gentle nature. They are just happy to have a fuss made of them.

‘We take them into communal rooms and even bedrooms. The look on the face of people, especially those who are bed-bound, is just amazing.

‘A resident at one care home who had been in bed for six weeks, got up and dressed when she heard they were coming.

‘A lot of residents will ask us questions about them and tell us little stories. They will remember how they might have ridden donkeys on beaches as children.

‘It is especially touching to see farmers and others who used to have horses around them a lot. The donkeys seem to gravitate towards them.

‘We even had an old soldier from the Household Cavalry who met them. The donkey put his head on his shoulder and they just snuffled together.’

Her miniature Mediterranean donkeys Pippin and Pixie, and their mothers Saffron, 7, and Bo Peep, 6, have been on visits to 52 care homes. Here they meet Jill Godbold in Bath

Mrs McPherson does not allow care home residents to feed her pets because of the risk of arthritic hands being accidently nibbled.

But she always carries around ginger biscuits which are their favourite treat so she can keep their attention as she takes them around.

A bucket is always carried by her or one of her assistants in case one of the animals has an ‘accident’ indoors.

‘You have to be alert to their body language because if their tail lifts a bit, it can mean they are about to poo,’ Miss McPherson said.

‘But they will generally not do it in unfamiliar surroundings and we have only had three accidents so far in all the visits we have done.’

She is now seeking further funding to buy a small horse lorry to make her visits easier.