We're Feeling A Little Horse!

"We're Feeling A Little Horse!" added by LincolnshireEcho, © Northcliffe Newspapers Group

We're Feeling A Little Horse!

From thisislincolnshire.co.uk with permission, originally published 13th November 2006

Children with learning difficulties had an exciting break from lessons when tiny horses invaded their school.

The miniature horses, which stand just 34 inches tall, trotted to Queen's Park Special School to meet children with conditions including Down's Syndrome, autism and cerebral palsy.

Charity Miniature Horses for the Disabled provided two horses happy to be groomed and petted by the excited children.

Spokesman Image Mann said the charity, based at Welton Lowfields, Welton, near Lincoln, owns almost 40 miniature horses, from a Latin American breed.

"These particular horses are bred to be incredibly safe with children and there are not many this docile," Mrs Mann said.

"They are so happy for the children to groom them, pat them and crawl all over them. The children love it."

It is important for children to spend time with animals, but it is not possible for them all to learn to ride horses, she said.

"Children with learning difficulties particularly benefit from meeting these horses because they are so small - they can get really close to them," Mrs Mann said.

Headteacher Allan Lacey said: "We often have days where the children see animals up close, but usually it is smaller creatures like rodents. This is their first visit from a horse."

He enjoyed seeing the children happy, he said.

"They love it. We take some children horse riding and this is a good way to give them their first contact.

"Every child in the school will come to the hall today to meet the horses."

There are almost 100 children at Queen's Park School, aged three to 19, and they have various special educational needs.

Student Nathan Busby (17) was one of those who went to meet the horses, called Playboy and Enrique.

He said: "Today has been good. It is good for the younger children to look at the horses so closely.

"It is nice they have come to visit the school."

Luke Onyon (17) said: "Today was good. The younger children liked it.

"Personally, I'm a football fan and I'd rather have a visit from the Liverpool team. The horses are very cute though."

Miniature Horses for the Disabled has just applied for charity status and hopes to get enough funding to take its tiny charges to meet children in other counties.

Article sourced with permission from thisislincolnshire.co.uk