Anyone visiting the Long-Term Care Center at Cody Regional Health might find themselves sharing an elevator with a pony or two. It’s not a fluke. In fact, it’s just what the doctor ordered.
Once a month, two ponies wearing leis, a cat on a leash, and a dog in a rainbow tutu trot into the Long-Term Care Center to bring special medicine to its residents. The halls echo with the soft clip-clop of pony hoofs as they go room to room, to the delight of the residents.
“Everybody can understand an animal,” said Kyle Watson, a social worker at Cody Regional Health. “They don’t need and ask for anything from our residents other than to get some attention.”
Seasoned Professionals
Many Long-Term Care Center residents struggle to remember names, faces, and daily routines. But they all know Norman and Star, the two ponies who visit them monthly.
On their January trip to the center, Norman and Star were joined by Snow the cat and Hot Pass the dog. Hot Pass was usually the first animal to approach each resident and enter each room, leading the way for Norman and Star.
Wyo Hoofbeats, a nonprofit in northwest Wyoming that offers equine-assisted therapy, brought the dressed-up animals for the visit to the Long-Term Care Center, one of the many places they visit for their unique therapy experiences.
“We take the ponies to elderly care facilities once a week,” said Heather Bales, co-founder and executive director of Wyo Hoofbeats. “We also spend three days a week in the arena doing mental health sessions with clients and horses.”
Of the six equines at Wyo Hoofbeats, Norman and Star are the best suited for these visits. They’re the ideal size, have the right temperament, and know how to get into and out of an elevator without much fuss.
Jody Goldbach led Norman, while Sally Gallop led Star. Both women have special training to facilitate the best interactions between people and ponies.
“We have to do this as a pair of a mental health professional and an equine specialist,” Bales said. “We have an awesome set of volunteers certified through the Equine Growth and Learning Association. One person’s job is mental health safety, while the other’s job is ensuing physical safety with the animal.”
Norman and Star aren’t simply paraded around and gawked at. They get as close as residents allow, receiving pets, scratches, and treats from everyone who wants to see them.
“It makes the residents so happy,” Bales said.
Norman the pony gets a happy welcome from one of the residents of the Long Term Care Facility at Cody Regional Health. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Norman the pony weighs in on an in-progress chess game at the Long Term Care Facility at Cody Regional Health. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
A new resident at the Long Term Care Facility at Cody Regional Health enjoys spending time with a therapy pony. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Jody Goldbach, a co-founder of Wyo Hoofbeats, chats with a resident while she greets Norman the pony. Goldbach and the other volunteers with Wyo Hoofbeats are certified to facilitate the most therapeutic interactions between people and ponies. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Norman the pony during one of Wyo Hoofbeats' monthly visits to Cody Regional Health's Long Term Care Facility. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Norman the pony during one of Wyo Hoofbeats' monthly visits to Cody Regional Health's Long Term Care Facility. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
A pony named Star is greeted on the way up the ramp to the Long Term Care Facility at Cody Regional Health. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Snow the cat gets some attention from a resident of the Long Term Care Facility at Cody Regional Health. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
Snow the cat finds a comfortable spot at Cody Regional Health's Long Term Care Facility. (Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily) 
(Andrew Rossi, Cowboy State Daily)
Open Invitation
When a pony hoof is heard in the hallway, everyone at the center wants to see their old friends Norman and Star. Some residents were already at the door waiting to welcome the animals.
Wyo Hoofbeats has been visiting the residents once a month for a year. The center’s staff say the monthly visits have been well-received and highly beneficial to the residents.
“The residents love them,” said activities coordinator Joan Benson. “They perk up when they see them, and it usually makes their day.”
Hot Pass leads the door-to-door procession, rushing to each resident in her rainbow tutu before clearing the way for Norman and Star to greet each resident. The residents’ rooms were quickly filled with multiple people and two ponies, with an occasional appearance by Snow the cat nestled on someone’s lap.
As residents stroked and scratched the ponies, they shared their stories with Goldbach and Gallop. Many of the residents at the Cody facility were horse people, so being in the presence of a pony rekindled memories of working with horses and other animals.
“They love animals,” Benson said. “We have rabbits and chickens that live here, but not when it gets cold. When the ponies come through, they want to touch and hug them. It’s the perfect thing for them, especially in winter.”
A Soft Touch
Anyone at the facility during a visit from Wyo Hoofbeats can feel the cheerful vibe as Norman and Star make their way to each room and visit with old friends.
Watson said working with Wyo Hoofbeats has been especially beneficial for residents with age-related cognition problems. Being in the presence of a pony provides emotional and mental stimulation that traditional medicine and treatment cannot achieve.
“We have residents that don’t or can’t talk or can’t understand conversations, but an animal doesn’t have any judgment,” he said. “A resident who can’t hold a conversation or doesn’t understand an exchange can still have a positive back-and-forth with an animal.”
Bales said there’s “something indescribable about the magic” that Wyo Hoofbeats’ visits bring to the Long-Term Care Facility. Whether it’s stroking the flanks of a pony, holding a cat in their lap, or scratching a friendly dog as it gently checks in, the benefit of each interaction is evident in the eyes of the residents as each interaction occurs.
“It’s great therapy for them, and it’s great for all of us,” she said. “Amazing animals, our awesome volunteers, and the excellent social workers and caretakers at the Long-Term Care Center — these visits bring something special to all of us.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
