'Pure joy': Taunton farm's horses bring comfort to people struggling with illness

TAUNTON — When Angel Burge stops by Deep Pond Farm & Stables in Taunton it's to visit Midnight, one of the farm's horses.

“When I’m with Midnight, I have pure joy visiting her,” Burge said.

Burge, who is from Fall River and is dealing with health issues she prefers not to specify, said spending time with Midnight, sometimes for hours, has helped her manage her related depression and anxiety.

Recently, she saw Midnight for the first time since the horse gave birth to her foal, Zara, a few weeks ago. This moment meant a lot to Burge.

“When she was pregnant, I felt the baby kick inside,” Burge said.

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Deep Pond owner Georges Ghazal said Burge is just one example of people reaching out to him who are experiencing illnesses or their family members, wishing to engage in equine therapy, or other forms of animal therapy, through his farm.

“Some of the people don’t have much time,” said Ghazal, who takes the requests on a case-by-case basis and based on everyone’s schedules.

Another recent example concerned a family who brought their elderly mother to visit the farm because it was her last wish to see horses.

Ghazal said the family that contacted him said their mother grew up in Kentucky and “she had lived on a farm and been around horses her whole life.”

“How could we say ‘no’?” he said.

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Ghazal arranged for the elderly woman’s visit through Brewster Ambulance.  When she arrived at Deep Pond Farm, he said she couldn’t walk, was on morphine, unresponsive and carried via a stretcher bed.

“She opened her eyes and moved her hand caressing the horses,” Ghazal said about the heartwarming experience.

Ghazal said the family told him they wish to remain anonymous and don’t want to talk to the press but gave him permission to share their story.

Brewster Ambulance confirmed the arrangement on social media by sharing the post from Deep Pond Farm and saying in a post two of its ambulance team members had a “transport they will never forget.”

“Thank you to the family and Deep Pond Farm and Stables for allowing us to be part of this meaningful moment,” concluded the post from Brewster Ambulance.

Visiting Deep Pond Farm and viewing its collection of animals, like horses, goats, chickens and ducks, is always free to the public. But interactions with the animals for therapeutic purposes, involving taking animals out of their enclosures, or having private access with horses, require supervision and arrangements made beforehand with Ghazal.

Burge said she started coming to Deep Pond based on a recommendation from a member of her church congregation, and also because it’s free, accessible to people with disabilities and accommodating to requests.

She recalls one of her visits allowing her private access to Midnight inside the main barn. In addition, a goat was taken out of its enclosure and brought to Burge to cuddle with.

“This family’s love for those who are sick and in need of that animal experience, I can’t say enough good about them,” she said about the Ghazal family.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Horses at Deep Pond Farm in Taunton provide animal therapy