06/25/2025
Horses are amazing healers, in so many unique ways. Check this out!
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In a hospital in Calais, France, a 15-year-old stallion named Peyo quietly makes his way from room to room, offering quiet companionship to patients in palliative care. Once a champion show horse, Peyo has found a new calling—one that defies explanation and touches the soul.
Affectionately known as Doctor Peyo, this remarkable horse isn’t a typical therapy animal. He possesses an uncanny instinct for sensing who needs him most. Without direction, Peyo will pause outside a particular room and gently lift one leg—a silent signal to his trainer, Hassen Bouchakour, that someone inside is in need.
Once welcomed in, Peyo stands peacefully at the bedside. Patients and loved ones often reach out to touch his mane, rest their hands on his back, or simply lean into his presence. Sometimes, he stays for hours, offering a wordless comfort where human language falls short.
This extraordinary journey began when Bouchakour noticed Peyo’s natural pull toward people who were ill or emotionally distressed. What started as an observation soon became a mission: to bring solace to those nearing the end of life.
Since 2016, Peyo has become a familiar and cherished figure at Calais Hospital. Families, doctors, and patients alike speak of the profound calm he brings—some even report needing less pain medication after his visits, a testament to the peace he offers simply by being present.
Though science has yet to fully understand how Peyo detects illness or emotional pain, one thing is clear: his impact is powerful, and deeply human. In the quietest of moments, this gentle stallion brings something medicine cannot—comfort, connection, and grace.
