Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 29, 1994 TAG: 9405290036
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium
That's about 22 years past the normal life expectancy for a British Shetland pony.
Teddy was the oldest horse discovered in a nationwide search this year by Purina Mills, a 100-year-old animal feed company in St. Louis.
The next two oldest horses were 46.
"He's a crotchety old gentleman," said Gwyn Nethaway, the veterinarian who has been treating Teddy for eight years. "Teddy can be very sweet when he wants to be and sometimes he's not so sweet when he doesn't want to be. He's old enough to know when he can get away with it."
Teddy isn't eligible for a senior citizen's discount, but he did win a year's supply of feed from Purina and probably will have his face on bags of Purina Mills' Equine Senior Horse feed. A photo shoot is set for Friday.
A pony is a horse that stands under 57 inches tall at the withers, or front shoulder. Teddy is 41 inches tall at the withers.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest horse ever was a 62-year-old in Great Britain. The oldest pony was a 54-year-old in France.
Teddy's owner, Kathy Pennington, 43, got Teddy 14 years ago for her three children, especially the youngest, Beth Frieden, now 16 and a sophomore at Kellam High School.
Pennington never received any papers with Teddy and had no record of when he was born. A vet who studied the pony's teeth said Teddy was between 35 and 40 years old. That would make him 49 to 54 today.
Beth began riding Teddy when she was 2 1/2. She was about 3 when the pony, competing in a horse show he didn't care to attend, circled the ring backward while the crowd laughed and she cried.
"He had never done that before," she said.
But the action wasn't all that surprising, she said, considering that with Teddy, it's always been "My way or no way."
In his younger days, the pony would feign lameness to get out of giving children rides, or he'd stop suddenly and lower his head so they'd slide down his neck to the ground.
"Teddy would never hurt anyone," Pennington said, "but he would get out of work."
Teddy has the run of a 32-acre homestead on Head of River Road in southern Virginia Beach. His health is excellent, Pennington said, except for some arthritis.
Until about five years ago, Teddy still gave children birthday rides. Since then he's been taking it easy.
"Unlike a lot of people, he sure knows how to enjoy retirement," Pennington said.
He visits the farm's eight other horses, four dogs, 30 cats, four goats and two rabbits, but he likes humans more than animals. Often he likes best being alone.
The mischievous pony has been known to hide bridles and bite his way into feed bags. Occasionally he still runs, if he has a reason to.
"He pretty much does whatever he feels like," Pennington said. "He's used to getting his own way and he expects to get it. We love him."
by CNB