Pony pushing 40: Old pony visits Hospice of Waterloo Region

An old pony named Chester visited the Hospice of Waterloo Region on Tuesday to help cheer up some palliative care patients.

Here's the catch – the small horse has some health problems of his own.

"He barely has back teeth," said Tatyanna van Lenthe, the owner and operator of Conestogo River Horseback Adventures, where Chester stays. "He also only has one eye."

As Chester trotted from person to person he shared similarities with those around him.

"My peripheral vision has been damaged with the surgeries," said Robin Ray, who has a life-limiting illness.

The little pony is hard of hearing and can't eat hard foods either. He has aches and pains as well. But considering he's older than most of his pony peers, he's doing fairly well.

Some residents referenced Chester's age as a similarity among patients too.

The average lifespan of a horse is around 25 years old. Their age is measured by the eruption and wear patterns of their teeth. But that becomes tougher to determine after the age of 18.

"When I bought Chester 19 years ago, he was older than 18. We couldn't guess his age. So just even if we do that math he is pushing 40 years old," said van Lenthe.

Chester the pony gets pets from Rasma Pludums. (CTV News/Spencer Turcotte)Don't let the long face fool you. His specialty is turning frowns upside down, especially when it comes to people that are near the end of life, like him.

"I have an astrocytoma. I have a brain tumour," said Ray.

Ponies are often at peak performance when they come in pairs so Chester brought along his friend named Esau, who van Lenthe says is around 27 or 28 years old. They met with folks who get at-home care from the hospice but were visiting through the day program. The ponies also went to individual rooms for patients staying at the hospice.

"With horses, you just self-medicate," said van Lenthe.

Rasma Pludums also has a life-limiting illness and met with Chester. She uses an oxygen tank and experiences shortness of breath but noticed her conditions improve after a few minutes with the ponies.

"They seem to draw all the negativity away and all those things," said Pludums, combing Chester's hair. "He doesn't get his knickers in a knot over anything. He just stands there and waits until you're ready to go again."

With the prized pony's age and health a continued concern, it's not clear if this recent visit will be his last. But each day Chester is around, he'll be cherished.