Aging Horses
Have you heard of “JMan”?
He died not long age after celebrating his 40th birthday at Mitten Misfits Farm Sanctuary in Grand Ledge, Mich. They said he was 138 years old in human years, but how did they calculate it?. I’ve seen different formulas to calculate a horse’s age on the web and it urns out it’s not as simple as calculating the human equivalent of a dogs age by simply multiplying by . This is because horses mature more quickly when they’re younger. It’s widely accepted that the first 3 years of horse life equal to an average of 6 human years each and each subsequent horse year is equal to 2.5 human years.
A Google search gives the average lifespan of a domestic horse at
20 to 30 years.
Of course some horses die much sooner while others live longer. The oldest horse whose age can be verified is “Old Billy,” foaled 1760 in the UK. Billy died on 27 November 1822 at the age of 62. But years lived is not necessarily years being healthy and active, years working or being ridden. As they age there comes a time in some horse’s lives that they are deemed no longer ’useful’ and become an inconvenience and a financial burden and some horse owners prefer to dispose of these unfortunate animals. But how does one define ‘useful’? I guess it depends on the reasons you got a particular horse in the first place.
I know, no matter her age, my horse will always be ‘useful.’ She was never a means to an end (trophies and ribbons) or a commodity (training and reselling or producing offspring), but a companion. She’s a sentient being with whom I’ve developed a relationship and love spending time with. We still ride but when she doesn’t enjoy that anymore I’ll be happy with walks in-hand, luxurious grooming sessions and just watching her graze or kick up her heels in the field.
Kudos to those people who care for their horses ’till the very end
Yellowstone
Native American Horses
I know people who love it but have never watched even one episode of the series ‘Yellowstone.’ So when I came across a recent article on the web I was curious. It talked about an episode where a horse is buried alongside a person ‘in accordance with Indigenous tradition.’
When I was little I often rooted for the Indians over the Cowboys/Calvary because they had better horses. I’m by no means very learned in Indigenous American traditions but I was surprised that I hadn’t heard of this custom at some point. Maybe I blocked it out because it involved killing horses!
Burying horses alongside human remains was a common practice among many Indigenous American nations well into the early 1900’s. Much like the ancient Egyptians, as part of revering the dead and providing for them in the afterlife, the Ute buried the deceased’s possessions with them. Often this included favorite horses who were sometimes killed on-the-spot as sacrifices for the deceased. Horses were vital in everyday life for Ute society allowing them to form large hunting parties, obtain big game from distant places and become an economic force in the area, dominating many other tribes. No wonder they valued their horses so highly and wanted to provide horses for their dead in the afterlife.
Photo: Indian istockphoto-517581785-
Hoarse Horses?
I Wonder…
Here in Western New York, Winter has officially arrived. Our recent ‘Snownado’ left no doubt. Also called the ‘Blizzard of the Century,’ it brought up to 50 inches of snow, 6 foot drifts, canceled flights and a football game, downed power lines and unfortunately brought death.
As people worked outside clearing snow in the bitter cold and howling wind you can bet another ‘season’ is on it’s way: the sneezing, coughing, cold, flu season with runny noses, sore, raw throats and hoarse voices.
At the thought of these afflictions I wondered…..
Do horses get ‘horse’?
There are two horses in the barn where I board who, when separated, continually call out for each other with some force. I wonder if they kept it up long enough would they get hoarse?
Just something to ponder when you’re sitting around waiting for the snow to melt.
A New Year
I’ve never been much on New Year’s resolutions: made with good intentions but often soon forgotten. But it seems right to hold good thoughts as we enter another year. I’ve borrowed this from Amber Lydic’s The Art of Equine Alchemy.
“Close your eyes
and image yourself
in a relationship…
Within this relationship you have no voice.
Maybe it’s your first one, or maybe the 10th one…
You meet and immediately you are told where you will live, where you will work, how you will exercise and who you will be friends with… if anyone.
When you try and express that you are fearful of the uncertainty, confused about the new life, and worried no one will ever hear you again… you are met with more directions… over and over… with no time to process or time to be still and be heard…
Imagine living day after day… walking on eggshells, not knowing what our partner will be like that day… often they use you as a means to feel better, dumping all the stress from their job and life on you… projecting all their insecurities and short comings right into you… blaming you for not being a better listener… even saying you are a jerk, stubborn, and even calling you stupid…
How do you cope with this? Do you shut down and stop trying?… do you try and run away, are you frozen in fear and anxiety, so much so that you are triggered by what seems to be “nothing”…and “out of nowhere”?
None of this is anywhere near a healthy partnership,
yet it’s where we expect our horses to live everyday…
These animals are gifts, accountability partners, and their behaviors and desperate attempts to communicate are a clear mirror to what is happening for us internally… they do not judge, they forgive constantly and love unconditionally… and when they don’t they are labeled as “problem.”
It’s time to take responsibility for our side of the relationship… they have no choice in this game, the least we can do is practice a little patience and empathy… manage our own emotions so they don’t have to navigate that energy… .
It’s my belief that they are here to support us in our growth, hold us accountable and teach us the virtues we came here to embody…
It’s time to get present with them…
it’s time to stop taking their offerings for granted
With Love and grace”
Amber Lydic Photo by Annie Spratt
The City Horsewoman (aka The Old Grey Mare) shares her thoughts and queries on life far from the barn. Your feedback and insights are welcome!
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