It was National Horse Day in the UK on December 13 and to mark the occasion, equestrian apparel brand and equine insurer Harry Hall went on the hunt for the oldest pony in the land. That honour went to Roana, a roan mare now 45 years young.
In a video posted to the Belfast Telegraph’s Instagram account, Roana’s owner Cerys Brown tells the reporter that the secret is good genetics, good joints and good care. And despite injuries over the years, a bout of strangles, and the loss of muscle tone and a few teeth, the mare looks remarkably younger than her 45 years.
“Horses are living longer due to advancements in nutrition and medicine,” agrees Harry Hall’s managing director Liz Hopper. “We are witnessing them surpassing expectations of the average age, which is around twenty-five.”
Brown also spoke to Horse and Hound about her pony, telling the magazine that Roana is “everything” to her and that remarkably she has owned the pony for 30 years. “I know how lucky I am to still have her,” she told H&H. “Many people are lucky to have ten to fifteen years, let alone thirty. Every day I see her wee head over the stable door is a bonus.”
According to Brown, she was seven when she first met Roana, a 13-hand mixed breed mare, at her riding school in Ireland. But it wasn’t love at first sight for Brown; in fact, she wasn’t sure about the pony at all. “She was hard to get going, didn’t really like all the trotting round behind the others; she was happier doing her own thing – as she still is now!” That changed once Brown and Roana began to work over fences. “She quite liked jumping. We found common ground and started to enjoy each other’s company.”
When the riding school closed and put all its horses on the market, Brown wound up being the little roan pony’s owner. “My granny stepped in and bought her for me,” Brown explained. “I was too old by then to compete in the classes we’d been doing, but I didn’t want her to go to another riding school as she wasn’t a fan of riding schools or children. She liked me because I always had treats in my pocket.”
The pony quickly became one of the family. Brown was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease when she was 18, and Roana helped her through that diagnosis and subsequently every life change, including being part of the wedding party when Brown got married.
“We have a different level of bond, I know her inside out,” she tells H&H. “I know how she is feeling just by looking at her. Everyone should know her story as she has been such an amazing companion and has had an incredible impact on my life.”
More from News:
