How horses have helped kids find their voice - and the sick at the end

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.