Old Billy - Hard Work and Love

Want a dressage athlete?  Dressage is the gymnastic training of the horse to help it become more agile, strong, and by that, prolong its working life. To get agile and strong, one must work.

I learned about Old Billy when I lived in Bedford, England as a child. In the Bedford Museum, was the stuffed head of this little horse. I spent many an hour staring at, and talking to, this little guy since I was such a weird little kid. Even then, I wanted to know his story. How did this barge and gin pulling little horse live to be 62 years old?  (Documented!)

Old Billy lived from 1760 – 1822. This was not a time of fancy feed or expensive veterinary care. What we do know is that he worked until he was 59 and then retired in the care of the man that broke him to harness and worked with him his entire life. By all accounts he had a gregarious personality and could be somewhat difficult!

This horse had two obvious reasons to get up in the morning. Work and love.

Life of a “gin horse” must have been boring. These horses are harnessed and hooked up to a large wheel that they pull around and around for hours in a circle (a dressage horse’s nightmare!!) Pulling the barges through the canals would have been more scenic but still much labor. The little guy worked a daily hard shift solely on his own gusto and the natural feed and dusty but otherwise clear-ish air around him. He had a job and he trudged along and did it.

I think it is funny to note that he was downright vicious when asked to leave his stall, especially as he got older, and emphatically resisted if it were a rest day. In a newspaper story from that time, Old Billy flat refused to leave the stable to attend the coronation of King George IV. That boy knew about self-care!

Other than work, Old Billy likely had an even more pressing reason to live so long. A man named Harry Harrison was 17 years old himself when he broke Old Billy to harness. This man then worked with him until both retired. You have to wonder if that relationship were a driving force behind the longevity. As horse lovers, we understand the bond and caring that goes into the horse relationships that we have. I have seen old or sick horses suddenly rally when their owners appeared. Love is a strong life line and I have to believe it was part of the lengthy number of years this old guy had on earth. I like to imagine that this pair were forever friends.

So, hats off to Harry and Old Billy. Let’s have them inspire us to work harder in our “daily grind” and love with passion and conviction! Every day is a good day to wake up and take on the world!