RESIDENTS of St Anne’s Care Home have been enjoying a variety of recent visits, from ponies to local singers and the Musselburgh Festival’s official party.

John and Elaine Sangster, of Therapy Ponies Scotland, accompanied by therapy ponies Flicker and Wilson, were welcomed to the care home on Windsor Gardens, Musselburgh.

They offer therapeutic visits to care homes, nursing homes and hospitals with their miniature Shetland ponies.

Their visit was extra special for Alice Burgoyne, who was treated to a wheelchair run by the ponies to mark her 80th birthday. Anne Ritchie also enjoyed a wheelchair ride.

Pamela Thorburn, a senior carer at St Anne’s, took along one of her three horses, 17-year-old Ozzy, from Whitecraig stables.

Ozzy was rescued by her friend Colin Brown, who is originally from Musselburgh and who runs his own horse rescue charity in Murcia, Spain. Hugo’s Home Farm has primarily been set up as a rescue centre by Helping Coco Horse Rescue, a registered charity with the mission to rescue abused, neglected or abandoned horses in the Alicante/Murcia area.

Pamela said: “Colin ‘Coco’ Brown sent Ozzy over to me in March and I have also visited Hugo’s Home Farm. I may be taking another rescue pony next year.

“Ozzy loved visiting the residents of St Anne’s. He is very much loved.”

Musselburgh’s Honest Lad 2024 Billy Innes and Honest Lass 2024 Eilidh Bonthron, who led this year’s Musselburgh Festival, supported by Honest Lad 2023 Aidan McLaren and Honest Lass 2023 Ellen Brown, enjoyed meeting residents during their visit to the care home.

Maureen Goodfellow, activities co-ordinator at the care home, said: “They were fantastic and our residents loved seeing them and singing.”

The residents were also treated to a performance by Musselburgh-based Clark Community Choir.