Visiting Alhaurin de la Torre with our therapy donkeys

Thanks to our Donkey Assisted Riding Therapy Mobile Unit we are able to carry out Donkey Assisted Activities within the Málaga province and on friday 26th of March we set off for two centres in Alhaurín de la Torre (Málaga), where we were visiting the Early Care Centre and the Day Centre for the Elderly in Alhaurín.

At the Early Care centre, a group of special needs children under 5 years enjoyed the company of Bienvenida and Estrella, two of our specially trained donkeys. The children had a chance to meet the donkeys, groom them, ride them and even lead them while their friends were riding. The smiles on their faces at the end of the activities said it all, they had a great time.

After the fun with the children, our donkeys then went to the Day Centre, where elderly people had a chance to spend some time with them, gently stroking them and reminiscing about the times when they used to have working donkeys at their own homes. Bienvenida, who is especially placid and well behaved, was able to go indoors and visit those people with reduced mobility, who were unable to come outside and meet her. It was heart warming to see the look in the faces of the elderly as they remembered their childhood while meeting Estrella and Bienvenida.

Iván Salvía, General Manager for El Refugio del Burrito, says "It is amazing what donkeys can do for both children and the elderly. With children, they are able to make them relax, smile and improve their social skills, self esteem, balance and coordination. With the elderly, especially in cases where people are affected by Alzheimer, donkeys seem to trigger their memories and they start reminiscing about things they may have long forgotten. The best thing, at the end of the day, is to see how our donkeys bring happiness to their faces".

A TV Crew from Canal Sur's Salud al Día filmed the activities on this occasion.

Our Donkey Assisted Riding Therapy programme depends entirely on donations from the public and it is provided free of charge to all users. In order to continue this vital work, we encourage you to help us by either making a donation towards the programme, or by adopting Toto or Estrella, two of our Riding Therapy Donkeys. Please help us keep smiles on the faces of those who benefit so much from these donkey Assisted Activities.