A miniature Shetland therapy pony who spreads joy to elderly residents in care homes and helps those with dementia has been nominated for an award.
Kaf Barriball’s 10-year-old gelding Jo, who is small in size but has an “awful lot of personality”, has been nominated for the animal category at the BBC’s Make a Difference Awards, which “recognise those who improve lives” in their local communities.
In 2019 Kaf was visiting her late elderly mother Janet, who had dementia, at a care home when she saw a sign on a notice board about ponies making window visits to residents.
“As my mum’s dementia progressed she became very, very withdrawn. I would take my German shepherd to visit but it got to a point nothing seemed to work. It was impossible to get any sort of interaction,” Kaf told H&H.
“When I saw the notice, I thought ‘Hang on, I’ve got a tiny pony. Can I bring him in?’”
Kaf first visited her mum with a friend’s older pony to test the water, then she started taking in the then three-year-old Jo.
“I had no clue what to expect, Mum had never had animals, but I was gobsmacked when she was chatting away to Jo,” said Kaf.
“Other residents who I had come to know and who would normally sit in chairs and not look up all wanted to speak to him.”
Kaf started her therapy business Rainbow Dreaming, visiting more care homes with Jo and her American miniature pony Bugs. In 2021, the year Janet died, Kaf applied to become a community interest company – a company for community benefit rather than private profit. The CIC status allows Janet to apply for funding to help subsidise the care home visits.
She is also raising money via a crowdfunder to allow some visits to be free. Donations can be made online.
“It’s not about making money, it’s about helping people,” said Kaf. “People aren’t often aware that these homes don’t have a lot of money for activities, and I think everybody should have access to this sort of thing. Taking Jo to visit my mum was one of the few things that brought her back out of her shell, and gave me my mum back for a short time.”
Kaf recently appeared on BBC Radio Lincolnshire as part of National Care Home Open Week and was accompanied by Jo in the studio. Kaf is also waiting to hear if Jo will be a finalist at the Make a Difference Awards in September.
“We’re not big on social media or very good at marketing, but there’s a lot of people like us doing things with therapy animals trying to make a difference,” said Kaf.
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