Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Re: Old horses

 

I civil war reenact with a horse-drawn artillery group that uses all Standardbreds.  We have a horse that is *at least* 38 (horse trader told the guy he was 7...but could have been older - maybe 9) years old.  When the trailers are loaded and the teams are headed out of the ranch to go to an event, poor old Bergie goes nuts.  So sometimes he gets to go and play.  He was "retired" at 35 or so but doesn't know it.  If he comes to an event now a lot of times we will saddle him up and let him loose.  He immediately will go to the front of the teams and will stay in point position the entire time.  On the occasion that we put a kid on him, watch out.  His mouth is like iron and he knows what to do, regardless of what the kid feels like doing.  We were at a parade during fourth of July last weekend.  We brought Bergie, threw a blanket on him and posted and "Antique Horse" sign on him and let him go with us to the parade. 

 

A majority of the horses that we use to pull the cannons are in their 20's-late 20's.  You would never believe it to see them.  They LOVE their job.  In most cases the horses have more experience than the riders on the battle field and more than once an accident was averted because the horses did their job.  (BTW - I too did the stupdist things on horse back.  Those Standardbreds literally taught me to ride bareback in a halter, galloping around - and over - all sorts of things, trying despretly to get past that aweful racing trot without being catapulted off....)

 

I have a Standardbred right now.  She's 10 and I'm 23.  It's really neat to think that when I'm 40 - maybe married, have had kids, kids left home etc.- she will still be there.  Whatever I do now with her, I'm really preparing for the next 20 years with her.  Puts things in perspective.

 

Melinda