On May 18th, 2023, Talo has turned 23. It’s utterly wonderful and amazing.

He’s not a young horse anymore, my idiot boy, but I see him every day and we still work regularly. Most days we just go hacking in the fields around the stables. It’s been great during the spring, when everything was green, and Talo had a lot of grass to eat. It’s all drying out these days, but he still manages to find the occasional plant to destroy. The flies are getting worse, though, so we’ll see about that.

Once a week, we usually work in the arena. He needs that. First of all, we don’t canter outside, since I’m only using a bareback pad these days, and it’s too risky. I fell off of him twice a few months ago, so running outside is off the table. So, he needs the exercise. Another issue is his behavior, of course. Hacking is a lot of fun for him, and he kinda forgets his manners if we don’t work in the arena for a long time. Yes, at 23, he still has a lot of opinions 🙂 Also, he needs his lateral work, in order to keep him flexible.

He has some issues with his front left leg, but he’s not lame. He gets two days off every week (sometimes more), and since it’s summer now, our rides are bound to get shorter.

Talo is still super funny and loves to eat, which makes me feel happy. He still has a lot of joie de vivre, and he’s still basically the best part of my day, every day. Things aren’t easy in the real world, so the stables are usually my only real getaway.

Every day we have together is a blessing. He’s not getting younger, but he still has a sassy spirit and lots of energy. I love you, my silly horse. May you always be happy!