This is a story of Peyo, a 14-year-old therapy horse who brings people joy and serenity. He meets patients and residents in retirement homes and hospitals twice a month. Everytime he goes to work, he brings smiles and encouragement to those who need it most.
Hospital staff all over Dijon, France say it seems like Peyo has a sixth sense. He decides which rooms he wants to enter. Somehow, he seems to always choose the person who needs him most. Watch the video above, and you’ll see Peyo insist on entering a room of a young man who does not have long to live. The connection the two make will bring you to tears.
Peyo meets patients and residents from pediatrics and palliative care unit, psychiatry and Alzheimer’s services. He also visits the elderly and end-of-life children at homes. This unusual equine therapist, known for his amazing sense of people and their needs, has a presence that undoubtedly boosts patients morale and bring smiles to those who need it most. Doctors and nurses say that routine contact with Peyo is improving patients’ mood.
Peyo forms immediate connections with everyone he comes across. After all, who doesn’t love horses? Hassen Bouchakour, Peyo’s trainer from the Les Sabots du Coeur Association, says: “It is one of the most pure, honest, and sweet things.” He also adds, “They like each other very much without asking for anything else.”
Now that’s a (therapy) horse of a different color! Our gratitude goes out to Doctor Peyo who is an inspiration to everyone who hears his story. We should all be so lucky as to be able to help people or bring them joy and peace simply by being near them.