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ECMC ponies up to promote patient wellness

Therapy animals are being used more and more with children and adults dealing with stressful medical issues.

Dogs are usually the animal of choice, but did you ever hear of a therapy horse? Nay, you say?

Well, Erie County Medical Center hosted a “Therapeutic Mini-Horse Visit” for its rehabilitation patients Wednesday that seemed to be a big hit. Centers Health Care, which has two skilled nursing facilities in Buffalo, provided the miniature horses to brighten the day of patients and residents.

Animal therapy has been found to have many benefits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, reports that the bond between people and animals can help improve improve fine motor skills and socialization, reduce pain and anxiety and lower the risk of depression, heart attack and stroke.

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