A specific purpose of pet therapy can be to help someone recover from or cope with a health problem or mental disorder, although more generally interactions with animals are known to be beneficial to mind and body, regardless of whether there is a specific ailment.

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Pet therapy is also referred to as animal-assisted therapy (AAT). This would encompass Joanna’s use of ponies and horses within hippotherapy, as AAT is a formal, structured set of sessions that helps people reach specific goals in their treatment. 

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This would differentiate other activities undertaken at The Old Vicarage which are noted as animal-assisted activities (AAA).

AAA involves more casual meetings in which an animal and its handler interact with one or more people for comfort or recreation.

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At the Old Vicarage the animals are in abundance, with two Shetland ponies called Pearl and Tango, a placid Cobb named Derek, 4 dogs of various shapes and sizes, Biggles a Golden Retriever, Chutney the Chocolate Labrador, Truffle an English Springer and Pepper the resident Shorkie. There is the solitary cat Albert and a daily collection of eggs from a colourful collection of chickens and bantams, led romantically by a miniature cockerel called Napoleon.  Finally, 3 mini pigs, Harry, Henry and Meghan.

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Whether it is riding in the paddocks, walking the gardens with a hound at your heel or taking afternoon tea in the carriage house, your proximity to animals will always be a close by experience.