Singapore seniors hoof it to horse therapy

"Haydays with Horses" is a two-year programme to tap into the therapeutic power of miniature horses to help seniors improve their physical health, cognitive functions and psychological well-being.

The Southeast Asian nation has one of the region's most rapidly ageing populations and officials have warned that the "silver tsunami" is a key long-term threat.

Some organisations in Singapore have already introduced ballet lessons for seniors and silent disco sessions for those in elder care.

Now, for the first time, hooved, four-legged friends are joining the mix.

Pensioners are able to interact with miniature horses in "active-ageing" centres across the city, grooming the equids, combing their manes or just stroking the animals.

The sessions are backed by the philanthropic arm of Singapore's state investment fund, Temasek, and free for participants.

Seniors are also able to pet and walk retired race or polo horses, retrained for equine therapy.

Under the scheme, experts will study the impacts of the therapy on seniors and draw up potential guidelines for policy-making.

One medical expert involved in the research said most studies on equine therapy were usually done in the West.

"We have not come across many studies which have been done in Asia," Mythily Subramaniam, assistant chairperson of the Institute of Mental Health's medical board for research, told AFP.

She said if research results proved effective, it could open the door for new and innovative methods for elder care, including robots to help cope with Singapore's growing ranks of seniors.

More than a decade ago, one tenth of the population was 65 and above.

Authorities say by 2030, a quarter of the nation will be over 65, creating challenges in national health care and other sectors.