‘Oldest horse’ thrives on linseed cake and light-weight train

There is not any higher manner for the horse believed to be the oldest within the UK to rejoice her forty sixth birthday in County Down.

A cake fabricated from linseed mash and grass pellets, with a center layer of grated carrot.

Roana and her stablemates, Tinkerbell and Barnaby, appeared to completely recognize the deal with from Roana’s proprietor Cerys Brown.

Cerys has had a detailed bond with Roana for greater than three many years

She was six years previous when she first saddled up with the horse at a using faculty.

“I can not think about life with out her, “mentioned Cerys.

“I simply know her inside out, she is aware of me inside out, we have grown up collectively.

“She’s all the time there, she’s all the time been there. She’s my greatest pal.”

She rode Roana at aggressive show-jumping occasions within the Nineties.

Cerys joked that at the beginning, Roana “wasn’t very keen on young children”.

“However I used to be all the time the child with treats in my pockets, and Roana likes treats. That is how I gained her round.”

When the using faculty closed throughout the subsequent many years, Cerys’s grandmother purchased the mixed-breed pony for her.

Roana has lived at her stables in County Down ever since.

Cerys is commonly requested in regards to the secret of Roana’s longevity.

“I feel loads of it’s excellent care, and good feeding. She’s had a lot of train however not an excessive amount of, so she has good joints.

“And in addition, good genetics,” she added.

Roana has cantered by way of all the numerous occasions in Cerys’s life – even attending her marriage ceremony.

She’s been a assist throughout harder instances too.

Cerys was recognized with Crohn’s illness when she was 18 years previous.

She mentioned that having Roana and one other horse on the time gave her “the drive to get nicely once more.”

“It simply gave me a purpose to rise up and out within the morning.”

Cerys described Roana’s character as “thran” – which is a phrase usually utilized in Northern Eire to imply “cussed”.

“Roana is aware of her personal thoughts,” she defined.

“She does what she needs when she pleases.

“I run to her schedule versus the opposite manner spherical.

“However she’s nice enjoyable, she has such a zest for all times…and even at age 46, she’s not sluggish. She simply needs to be out having enjoyable.”

Roana emerged because the frontrunner within the race to be the UK’s oldest horse in a survey by the equestrian specialists Harry Corridor.

Managing Director Liz Hopper mentioned the connection between Cerys and Roana was a “stunning partnership”.

“Horses live longer as a consequence of developments in diet and medication,” she defined.

“We’re witnessing them surpassing expectations of the typical age – which is round 25.”

Cerys mentioned she hadn’t beforehand thought that Roana might be a record-holder.

“If horses get to their late 20s or early 30s, it is nice.

“Forty-six is an unbelievable age.

“However simply because she’s all the time been there, I by no means actually thought Roana might be the oldest.

“She’s simply my Roana.”