A horse therapy organization hoping to saddle up some smiles visits a local nursing home.

Residents at New Windsor Country Inn got a lovely surprise Tuesday. Instead of another day on lockdown with no visitors, they got a chance to sit out in the sun and enjoy a little visit with a new equine friend.

“We brought our pony bander to come visit and visit the residents of New Windsor country in. Unfortunately, they have not been able to have visitors daily so we thought what a great idea to bring a pony from our barn over and see some smiles on their faces,” says Jessica Lane, the assistant director for Making Strides Therapeutic Horsemanship.

And smile they did. With handmade signs, the staffers and volunteers from Making Strides Therapeutic Horsemanship walked the gentle pony and introduced her to residents sitting on patio chairs and waiting at windows to see the animal.

“After being here and talking with the residents and meeting some of them," said Lane, "it was so nice to hear their stories and see the smiles on their faces. Even though we're all wearing masks, you can see it in all their eyes.”

Organizers say the pony is meant to bring emotional support to the seniors while they are unable to see or visit with their own families during the pandemic.

“Now is a very lonely time for a lot of people and horses, as well as many other animals [who] have a lot of emotional connections with us as humans, so it really just it brightens their spirits,” said Lane.

While the pony show was meant for the seniors, organizers say the volunteers who came out with the organization also benefited from the visit.

“Our young volunteers. You know it, they're part of history right now and they're seeing what we can do to make a difference even with all the mask wearing and social distancing there's still stuff that you can do to make people happy,” says Lane.

If you would like a horse to visit your nursing home, go to MakingStridesTH.org.