EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Residents at The Legacy at Cimarron will get an up-close visit from horses and dogs on Wednesday as two animal-therapy groups bring hands-on interaction to the senior living community in West El Paso.<\/p>\n
KNJ Therapeutic Riding and Paws Down Best Dog Training are scheduled to visit The Legacy at Cimarron, 6201 Northern Pass Dr., at 10:30 a.m. <\/p>\n
KNJ Therapeutic Riding will bring horses for residents to see, pet and connect with, while Paws Down Best Dog Training will showcase dogs performing tricks and invite residents to pet them.<\/p>\n
The visit is part of The Legacy at Cimarron\u2019s ongoing effort to provide meaningful sensory experiences for assisted living and memory care residents.<\/p>\n
Our residents light up when the animals arrive,\u201d said April Kendrick, memory care director at The Legacy at Cimarron. \u201cWatching someone who rarely speaks reach out to pet a horse is something you never forget.<\/p>\n
Jacob Boggs, executive director, said the event gives residents a chance to interact directly with the horses. \u201cSo what we\u2019re doing is we are having our residents entertained by K&J therapeutic horses,\u201d Boggs said. \u201cAnd they just come out, bring the horses out, and let them eat from their hands and get to pet them and just have some interaction with the animals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boggs said horses visit about once a year, while dogs visit more often. \u201cSo the horses come about once a year, but we have other animals that come,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of therapy dogs.\u201d He added, \u201cThere\u2019s actually Border Patrol dogs that come out here,\u201d and said the community has dogs visit \u201cevery month.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the animal visits provide stimulation and a change of pace for residents. \u201cI mean, they need the stimulation. They need the interaction. They need to be outside,\u201d Boggs said. \u201cThey need to interact with other animals just for their overall well-being and mental health.\u201d He added, \u201cI think the big thing is just interacting with the animals, just being outside and petting them and enjoying them. It\u2019s just something different. Get some out of the routine.\u201d<\/p>\n