Everyone knows miniature horses are cute and cuddly – but few realise just how powerful they can be.
At a time when mental health crises are soaring and too many elderly people are dying alone, people are searching for new ways to bring comfort, connection and hope.
From helping a non-verbal child to find his voice, to sitting quietly beside a terminally ill man in his final weeks, one woman’s ‘hoof gang’ is proving that healing can come in the smallest of packages – with four tiny hooves and a mane.
Cherene Robertson, from Scotland, leads a team of 10 highly trained horses who tour schools, universities and care homes across the country, touching lives wherever they go.
A former NHS medic, she calls her animals her ‘staff’ and believes they can support anyone in need, from anxious students and children with autism to people facing devastating diagnoses.
‘There is something about a horse that no other animal has,’ she tells the Daily Mail.
‘They all have therapeutic benefits, but a horse is on a completely different level about what they do for you.
‘They get you through that bad day and they’re just incredible beings.’
In 2021, the 53-year-old founded Lunar Eclipse, a non-profit organisation dedicated to redefining equine-facilitated learning and wellness.
Cherene Robertson (pictured with Apollo the miniature horse), leads a team of 10 highly trained horses who tour schools, universities and care homes across the country
A former NHS medic, she calls her animals her ‘staff’ and believes they can support anyone in need, from anxious students and children with autism to people facing devastating diagnoses
Cherene believes Bubbles, a British miniature horse, helped a non-verbal child, Conor, learn to speak. Pictured: Cherene and Conor
One of Cherene’s horses, Apollo, formed a special bond with a terminally ill man called Stuart before he passed away. Pictured: Apollo at Stuart’s funeral
Every member of her ‘hoof gang’ undergoes specialised de-sensitisation training, learning to stay calm in noisy or unpredictable situations before heading out to work.
They may be small, but each horse has a big personality – with one tiny Falabella being renowned for his love of Netflix.
All Cherene’s four-legged friends have their own quirks and special roles but one stands out: Apollo, an American miniature horse with what Cherene calls a ‘very special gift’.
‘He visits care homes, schools, events, and he seeks out someone that needs him more than anyone else,’ she said.
The extent of Apollo’s talents became clear when he formed an incredible bond with a terminally ill care home resident called Stuart.
‘Apollo just quietly walked in, his little hooves on the flooring, and suddenly this massive smile came on Stuart’s face,’ Cherene said.
‘Apollo went straight to him, and he put his muzzle right into the crook of Stuart’s neck and shoulder, and he just snuggled in and breathed on him.’
She added: ‘You just saw the biggest change. Suddenly Stuart seemed so much calmer, so much more relaxed.’
Cherene posing with one of her horses – she believes horses can help heal people in a way no other animal can
The Scot founded Lunar Eclipse, a non-profit organisation dedicated to redefining equine-facilitated learning and wellness in 2021 (pictured with two of her mini horses)
Apollo’s visit had a profound impact on Stuart, so much so that he asked for the tiny horse be with him in his final moments.
When Cherene received the call that Stuart didn’t have long left she dropped everything and rushed to get Apollo there on time.
She remembers the tiny horse jogging through the care home corridors, as if sensing the urgency.
But it was too late. By the time they had arrived Stuart had passed.
Care home staff still allowed Apollo into the room to say goodbye, knowing how much he meant to Stuart.
‘We went in to pay our last respects to Stuart and Apollo just completely snuggled into him, he was a bit confused,’ Cherene recalled.
Stuart had no family and she believes the tiny horse gave him ‘immense comfort’ in his final days, sparing him from facing death alone.
Cherene with Bubbles (L) and Teddy (R)
Pictured: Bubbles, the horse who helped Conor, a non-verbal child, find his voice
Weeks later, Cherene received another call – a request for Apollo to serve his friend one last time.
‘They said, would you do the honor of walking Stewart down to his final resting place with his best friend?’ she said.
‘They asked us to walk the hearse down. And when they took out Stuart’s coffin out the hearse, and Apollo went over and touched the coffin with his muzzle.’
Apollo isn’t the only one of Cherene’s horses to have transformed a life.
She believes Bubbles, a British miniature horse, helped a non-verbal child, Conor, learn to speak.
‘There was a little boy that we started to see that was at school who showed great interest in the horses.
‘He had very limited speech but went home and said “horses horses” and his mum and dad they just about fell over’, Cherene said.
His mother later told Cherene, ‘I’ve never known my son first of all to come home and tell me anything about school let alone keep talking about horses.’
Every member of her ‘hoof gang’ undergoes specialised de-sensitisation training, learning to stay calm in noisy or unpredictable situations
So they arranged for him to visit.
The pair quickly formed an ‘incredible bond’ and before long Conor’s communication skills had rapidly improved.
‘Every time he came, there was another leap of progress and another leap and another leap. Now, Conor, can understand much more past, present and future tense.
‘He can have a much more structured conversation,’ Cherene said.
