Beryl Visits the Stables

A visit to local horse stables in Marston brought back fond memories for Beryl Wilson, who is a resident at our Richard House Care Home in Grantham.

Beryl inherited her lifelong love of horses from her family, who were passionate about all things equine. Her father, Freddie Gadd, was a well-known commentator for local horse shows and gymkhanas, where Beryl also competed in events as a proficient contestant in ‘Hunters Class’.

Beryl’s day out at the stables was organised by the homes Activities Coordinator Anita Asken, who had learned of Beryl’s affection for horses through their many chats. Anita organised the day with the help of her friend Deborah Wylie who is a fellow member of the Grantham Sunrise Rotary Club.

Beryl enjoyed a fantastic day at the stables, where she was completely at home petting and fussing the friendly ponies Patrick and Alfie. The feeling was mutual as Patrick and Alfie let it be known they enjoyed the rub behind the ear, and good scratch on their withers.

Being with horses is known to have great therapeutic value, and has been proven to reduce people’s blood pressure and heart rate, and can help to calm physical symptoms of conditions such as anxiety and stress while promoting feelings of inner peace and happiness.

Horse riding is also used as a therapeutic and rehabilitation treatment known as Hippotherapy. Hippotherapy uses the horses slow rhythmic movements that mimic the human pelvis during walking to shorten recovery time, improve balance and increase strength and core muscle control.

Anita said, “We had a lovely day at the stables. It was wonderful to see how happy being with horses and ponies made Beryl. The smile on her face made it an incredibly special occasion. We are already talking about our next visit to see Patrick and Alfie – they were lovely and so well behaved.”

Richard House Care Home, offers both Residential and Dementia Care.

The home is located on the Gorse Road in Grantham. Richard House is a 68-bed care home developed with residents in mind. Boasting a range of facilities including, ensuite wet-rooms, communal dining rooms and lounges, a games room, hairdressers, wellbeing room, cinema, and tearoom.

If you or a loved one is interested in finding out more about our home, please give our team a call on 01476 855705 or email info@twhealthcare.co.uk