Latest news with #GreenAcresTherapyHorses
CTV News
23-07-2025
- CTV News
Meet Magic and Tinkerbell, the therapy ponies calming anxious travellers at Vancouver's airport
Two miniature ponies are the latest addition to an animal therapy initiative at Vancouver International Airport. Two miniature ponies named Magic and Tinkerbell have joined the crew at Vancouver International Airport to help soothe the nerves of anxious travellers. The move is an expansion of the 'Less Airport Stress Initiative,' which started bringing therapy dogs to the terminal several years ago. 'We've got dogs, we've got ponies, we've now got the YVR dog and pony show,' said Eric Bateman, the airport's chief experience officer. 'It's been wild, just watching people's excitement as they come down to check it out.' Expand Autoplay 1 of 11 therapy ponies therapy ponies Credit: Vancouver Airport Authority. therapy ponies therapy ponies therapy ponies Credit: Vancouver Airport Authority therapy ponies Credit: Vancouver Airport Authority therapy ponies therapy ponies therapy ponies Credit: Vancouver Airport Authority. therapy ponies therapy ponies Credit: Vancouver Airport Authority. The two ponies are being provided by Green Acres Therapy Horses, founded by twin sisters and equine enthusiasts Pamela and Jacqueline Green. The pair said they hope lending their horses to the airport will help raise awareness about the benefits of therapy ponies with the hope that their use will soon become as mainstream as the use of therapy dogs. 'You don't have to ride them, you don't have to pat them, you don't even have to touch them – you just have to be in their presence, and you can get the benefits of what they have to offer,' Jacqueline said. Tinkerbell is the older of the two ponies, a 17-year-old mare who is blind in one eye and was passed over for adoption many times before the Greens took her in. 'She's got an exceptionality and look at the work she's doing,' Pamela said. 'That's one of the messages we want to get through. Just because you have an exceptionality doesn't mean you can't do great big things, and just because you're small doesn't mean you can't do big great things.' Magic, a three-year-old gelding, is still in training but the sisters say he's already doing a great job. 'Our horses always leave people better than they found them,' said Jacqueline.
Global News
23-07-2025
- Global News
Not horsing around: Vancouver airport is 1st in Canada to feature therapy ponies
If you're one of the millions of Canadians who find flying to be stressful, would a little neigh help you get on your way? It's a bet Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is making as it introduces a pair of new therapy ponies it hopes to have on site two to three days a week to help soothe travellers' nerves. The airport has long featured therapy dogs, but YVR chief experience officer Eric Pateman said it recently connected with Green Acres Therapy Horses in Delta and decided it could do more for the 80 per cent of passengers who find airports stressful. 'We wanted to up our game,' he said. 'And thought what a cool opportunity to bring something that is a little bit different into the airport. They bring a whole new energy and as you can probably see behind me, a whole new level of engagement.' Story continues below advertisement 2:33 Meet the Canucks Place therapy dog having a huge impact on lives of children YVR is the first airport in Canada and one of the first in North America to bring in therapy ponies. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The ponies, Magic and Tinkerbell, are already a massive hit — earning squeals of delight from children and attracting staff and even patrolling RCMP officers who wanted to say hello. 'Just seeing all the faces smiling, it just makes our hearts melt,' said Jacqueline Green of Green Acres. 'Horses release feel-good endorphins in us which just immediately make us feel better, and they also lower our heart rates,' added Pamela Green, her identical twin sister. 'It's like a reset for everybody. The duo said they have personally lost family members to mental health challenges, an experience that has motivated them to share their therapy horse program. Story continues below advertisement 'We're driven with that purpose and the horses are really helping provide that,' Jaqueline said. The ponies are currently visiting with the airport on a trial basis, and Pateman said they're still working out a schedule — though Magic and Tinkerbell's appearances will be posted on the website so people will know when they're on site.
