I’ll let you in on a secret – the horses I love to care for the most are the old ones. There’s been much talk of end of life recently but there’s not too much column space given over to the twilight years of horses and the jobs they can do, so let’s give the golden oldies some love.

Teeth are always a factor when you care for older horses. I have a wonderful retired jumping mare called Candy and she is the ripe age of 22. She has the important retirement job of nanny to the weanlings. For the past year her teeth have been failing her, she quids (a lovely word meaning drops food) as she can’t manage to chew her haylage completely now. This summer I also noticed that she wasn’t able to graze grass well. Many said it’s her time.

In actuality, what she needed was some good dental intervention. She has just had six molars extracted at UCD Vet Hospital to enable her to happily graze again. She’s now back in the field, scoffing the best of the new grass and the safe removal of the troubling teeth will allow her to live her last years in comfort, and put some feisty foals in their place come weaning time.

New talent

A shining example of a horse who has found new talent in his later years is former show jumper now therapy horse, Grand Cherie or Robbie to his friends. This 25-year-old works with the police and military veterans at the Equine Assisted Learning charity here in Fermanagh.

Robbie has been cared for by his devoted owner who has recently made the hard call to retire him from ridden work. But Robbie has a particular talent as a therapy horse. The things I have seen him achieve with people in pain or who are facing huge challenges can only be described as magical – not a word I often use in association with horses publicly for fear of the eye rollers.

Last week, I watched him wrap his head around a man who was suffering, staying there until the man rested his head on his and who, thanks to Robbie, found a way to let some pain go.

Robbie is still an elegant and handsome horse, and despite being deaf now, is a wonderful communicator. Does his deafness heighten his particular sensitivity to humans? Who knows? He may no longer jump Grand Prix or gallop up hills, but what he can do has to be seen to be believed.

Robbie has mopped up a few tears on his shining dark brown coat, he has offered comfort when some veterans have needed it most. The rest of the time he spends with his friends; happy, healthy and loved – by more than just his owner.