Age Is Just A State Of Mind

My Thoroughbred mare will officially turn 25 on April 18th. According to The Jockey Club rules, however, she became a year older on January 1st as the date of birth of all Thoroughbreds is deemed to be January 1st of the year of foaling. I have not told her that she is, or soon will be, 25. Nor does she care. Horses are lucky in this respect. We humans fret over our age and the challenges that aging presents. Not our equine friends. My mare romps and plays, runs and bucks, rolls and sunbathes, eats and eats despite her age status. "Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese." I love this quote by Billie Burke. We should all take a lesson from our horses and, the eternally youthful, "Good Witch of the North".

Still, 25 is nothing to sneeze at in terms of horse years and while my mare is unaware of her age, I know that I am truly blessed to still have such an energetic, healthy companion. Actually, companion is not an adequate word to describe the relationship that I share with my mare. My mare is my confidant, my keeper of secrets, my partner in crime, my therapist...my best friend. She and I have lived a lifetime together of celebratory events and the unfortunate but unavoidable sorrows that fall upon us all..the price we pay for being allowed to walk this earth.

So unaware or not of her birthday, on April 18th we will be celebrating my mare's 25 years of youthful exuberance. Carrot cakes will be made and brought to the barn for all to share, presents of her favorite treats will be wrapped (Uncle Jimmy's Squeezy Buns...not to be shared!!) and balloons will be blown up and tied to my locker in the tack room. Of course, I will make sure that the balloons arrive at the barn and are hidden from her sight before my mare comes in for her party. I want this to be a happy event!!

Some might think that perhaps I'm little crazy for making such a fuss over an animal's birthday and perhaps some might be right. I accept that. But I believe that the majority of horse owners understand why I will make my mare's 25th birthday into an over-the-top celebration. The fact is, I'm not sure how many more birthdays I will be lucky enough to celebrate with her and the mere thought of that breaks my heart.

So for now, we're going to happily eat lots of carrot cake and greedily not share any Uncle Jimmy's Squeezy buns until our tummys are overly full. Then we'll nap in the sun (and there will be sun!) until we feel like waking up and eating some more.

If you're passing through Northford on April 18th and hear all the hoopla, feel free to stop in for some cake...and a nap...it's going to be a great time!