Man's beloved horse visits him at Pendleside Hospice

A wish came true for a seriously ill dad-of-three who was treated to a uplifting visit from his beloved horse at Pendleside Hospice.
Ian has a surprise visit from PepperIan has a surprise visit from Pepper
Ian has a surprise visit from Pepper

Ian Smith, an inpatient at the hospice, was stunned when he came face-to-face with his horse of four years Pepper in the hospice grounds.The visit was organised for the 65-year-old who has motor neurone disease by his wife Sheila and staff at Moorview Equestrian Centre where Pepper lives.Ian has been an inpatient at the hospice since January, following a spell of bad health after being diagnosed with the illness in August 2016.Ian rode Pepper every week until illness prevented him.“It was such a shock when I saw Pepper at the hospice, it really meant a lot to me. I’d like to thank everyone for making it possible for Pepper to come down. She hasn’t been in a horse box since the day we got her, so she did really well and behaved perfectly.”Ian’s wife Shelia and daughters Helen and Clare are all keen horse riders.Sheila said: “The care given here at Pendleside is fantastic and for them to organise the visit from Pepper, with the help of Vicki and Ursula from Moorview, was just amazing. We’re so grateful for that and will remember it forever.”