Elisabeth Svendsen TrustMeet Pascoe the retired donkey who still loves his work!
Pascoe retired eight years ago from his work as a riding therapy donkey for a charity in Birmingham, but he still wants to join in with the lessons!
Pascoe started work as a riding therapy donkey in 1989 when the Birmingham centre of The Elisabeth Svendsen Trust for Children and Donkeys (EST) first began to provide therapy for local children with special needs.
Pascoe adores people, especially children. He is very clever because he knows how to open doors, so staff at the centre keep a watchful eye on him as he loves escaping from his stable to take part in the lessons! He likes to wander around the arena behind the other donkeys and patiently waits as the donkey in front of him stops for their rider to pick up a toy or place a hoop on a stick.
Pascoe loves the arena so much that staff allow him to eat his lunch in there and can often be found having a snooze on the soft sand surface in the afternoons when lessons have finished for the day.
Because of this, the staff affectionately describe him as a free-range donkey, because given half a chance, he prefers to be helping out in the centre than being out with the other resting donkeys in the stable!
Amber Brennan, one of the centre’s riding instructors, says “Even though Pascoe is completely trustworthy with the children and visitors, we do keep a special eye on him to make sure he’s not up to too much mischief! He thrives on the attention he gets from wandering around and it would break his heart if he couldn’t continue to interact with people every day. He is much loved by all the staff and volunteers. He has a couple of common health problems such as arthritis and a little heart murmur which are to be expected in some older donkeys, but he is happily enjoying his retirement and he will spend the rest of his days here with us.”
Over the years Pascoe has helped hundreds of children with a wide range of disabilities, some with learning difficulties, some with behavioural problems and some with physical disabilities, all have benefited from Pascoe’s kind and gentle nature. Donkey riding therapy can help with confidence and self esteem and can physically help to improve balance, posture and dexterity.
Approx 150 children visit EST Birmingham each week; the centre has a team of 21 working donkeys who live with Pascoe and is operated by 11 staff with the help of 40 volunteers.
