Bringing Animal Therapy to You
We understand that leaving home isn’t always possible for everyone, which is why we’re proud to offer private 1-to-1 home sessions. In these tailored visits, we bring the calming and therapeutic presence of our friendly animals directly to you, ensuring accessibility and comfort for all. The same enriching experiences as our on-site sessions but are delivered in the familiar surroundings of your home:
Our Animals Available for Therapeutic Interactions
- Ponies: Our Miniature Shetland ponies “Bella, Pippa, Missy, Spirit” are calm, gentle, and love spending time with you. They’re perfect for brushing, petting, and offering that special pony cuddle. They happily navigate around your home, don’t worry if you are unable to sit out of bed. Our ponies will join your bedside for special cuddles and rest their heads and even have a little nap themselves.
- Small Animals: Our Rabbits and Guinea Pigs are calm, soft and cuddly. They are ideal for offering comfort and companionship. Their soft fur and gentle nature provide the most amazing comforting sensory experience.
- Farm Animals: Our Goats and Sheep are always friendly and curious, they bring an element of fun and excitement as you get to observe them up close. Our Chickens and Ducks are a fun way to observe and interact, learning about their natural behaviour in a safe, controlled environment. Our Chickens especially will happily sit on your arm for a stoke, or even perch on your head. Our Cockerel is always the star of the show with his cock-a-doddle-do.
Please note: Only a selection of our Animals are brought to each session, tailored to your preferences and needs, to ensure a calm and focused experience.
Interacting with these animals can provide numerous therapeutic benefits, including stress relief, improved mood, and enhanced social interaction.
Hands-On Animal Care & Education
- Learn About Animal Care: Discover how to care for each animal, from feeding and grooming to learning fun facts about their habits and needs.
- Engage with Seasonal Animals: For example, learn about lambing in the spring or the life cycle of chickens, fostering a connection to nature and agriculture.
- Sense of Purpose: Participating in care-related tasks helps boost confidence and provides a sense of accomplishment.
Benefits of Animal Therapy
Emotional Benefits
- Stress Relief: Petting animals releases endorphins, reducing anxiety and fostering relaxation.
- Combating Loneliness: Animals provide companionship, helping individuals feel connected and valued.
- Happiness Boost: Their playful and loving nature brings joy, laughter, and comfort to any environment.
Cognitive Benefits
- Memory Stimulation: Interacting with animals can evoke happy memories, especially for those with dementia or Alzheimer’s.
- Focus & Engagement: The calming presence of animals encourages attention and mindfulness.
- Learning Opportunity: Discovering facts about animals can inspire curiosity and mental stimulation.
Physical Benefits
- Encourages Movement: Light activities like grooming or petting animals promote mobility and coordination.
- Health Improvements: Studies show that interacting with animals can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rates, and even ease chronic pain.
- Accessible Participation: Animal therapy is inclusive for all ages and abilities, ensuring everyone can take part at their own pace.
Psychological & Therapeutic Benefits
- Sense of Calm: Being around animals is soothing and comforting, particularly for individuals facing mental health challenges.
- Improved Self-Esteem: Gentle, positive interactions help build confidence and a sense of purpose.
- Building Connections: Animals foster communication and connection, making therapy sessions enjoyable and meaningful.
Our Commitment to Cleanliness and Animal Welfare
- Pony Diaper Bags: Our ponies wear special horse-friendly diaper bags during indoor visits. These ensure cleanliness and prevent mess, allowing you to relax and enjoy the time with the ponies.
- Goat & Sheep Diapers: During indoor visits our goats and sheep wear special diapers, to ensure cleanliness and prevent any mess, allowing you to relax and enjoy the time with our animals.
- Protective Shoes: To safeguard your floors and prevent slipping, our ponies wear specially designed protective shoes. These shoes are non-slip and floor-friendly, ensuring both the ponies’ safety and the protection of your home.
- Animal Welfare First: Each animal is transported with their welfare in mind, with regular breaks, comfortable transport conditions, and plenty of care to ensure they are calm, happy, and stress-free on arrival.
- Small Animal Baskets: Our Rabbits and Guinea Pigs happily sit all day long in their special baskets being stroked and loved. This is for your safety preventing scratches from little claws and for the comfort of the animals, as they are not being picked up or handled incorrectly.
We are committed to making each visit a seamless and enjoyable experience for you while prioritising the health, safety, and comfort of our animals. If you have specific requirements or questions, we’re always happy to discuss and accommodate your needs!
Why Choose Us?
- A Private, Family-Run Service: As a small family business, EverDale Stables is also our home, not a public venue. Every session is delivered with care, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail.
- Tailored Experiences: Every visit is customised to meet your unique needs, whether you’re seeking therapeutic benefits, educational opportunities, or both.
- Expertly Trained Animals: Our animals are calm, friendly, and well-trained for therapy sessions, ensuring safe and meaningful interactions.
- Seasonal Variety: Our offering changes with the seasons—imagine cuddling a lamb in the spring or feeding Pygmy goats in the summer!
- Accessibility for All: Our service is inclusive and ideal for individuals of all ages and abilities, from young children to elderly adults.
- Flexible Scheduling: We work with you to arrange sessions at convenient times, making therapy as stress-free as possible.
Therapeutic Animal Interaction Sessions: Pricing and Availability
We are pleased to offer flexible home sessions featuring your choice of one of the following:
- One Pony
- A Selection of Small Animals
- A Selection of Farm Animals
This structure ensures the safety of all participants by maintaining an appropriate ratio of animals to handlers.
Session Availability:
Our home sessions are available Monday to Friday during term time, with flexible morning and afternoon slots to suit your schedule, depending on our availability.
Pricing:
- 30-Minute Session: £60
- 45-Minute Session: £75
- 1-Hour Session: £100
Additional Time: If you would like us to stay longer than an hour, additional time is charged at £50 per 30 minutes.
These rates are designed to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
Block Discounts:
- 6 Sessions: 5% discount on the total price.
- 12 Sessions: 10% discount on the total price.
Fuel Charges and Animal Welfare During Travel
To ensure our animals travel safely and comfortably to your location, we apply a fuel charge based on the distance from our base at EverDale Stables in Middleton. Additionally, we take extra precautions to maintain cleanliness and the welfare of our animals during their visits to your home.
- First 10 Miles Free: The first 10 miles (5 miles each way) of travel are completely free of charge.
- Additional Miles: After the first 10 miles, a fuel charge of £1.50 per mile (round trip) is applied.
Example Fuel Charge Calculation:
- Total Distance (Round Trip): 60 miles
- First 10 Miles Free: Subtract 10 miles, leaving 50 chargeable miles.
- Fuel Charge: 50 miles × £1.50 = £75
Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) Charges: If your location falls within an Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), any applicable charges or tolls will be added to the fuel cost.
Shared Travel Savings: When possible, we coordinate with nearby sessions to split fuel costs between multiple bookings in the same area. This helps reduce the overall charge and benefits everyone.
Book Your Private Session Today
We’re here to bring the joy, comfort, and therapeutic benefits of animal interactions to your doorstep. Whether you’re looking to lift your spirits, create happy memories, or simply spend time with some lovable animals, our 1-to-1 home sessions are designed to make that possible.
To book your session or find out more, contact us today:
Call: 07912681564 to speak with Jess
Email: info@shetlandtherapy.co.uk
Miniature Shetland Therapy Ponies Ltd
www.shetlandtherapy.co.uk
License Number of Activities involving Animals: 009223
North Warwickshire Borough Council
Together, we can make every day brighter—one cuddle, nuzzle, and smile at a time.
Bringing the healing power of animals to you—right where you feel most comfortable.