THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604210058
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
She's spotty, warty, dyspeptic and a little stiff, but Saturday, as she celebrated her 41st birthday among those who love her most, Princess was every inch what all princesses aspire to be: a queen.
For the past six years, as an Equi-kids therapy horse, the gentle but spirited Appaloosa has provided the strong legs and the swayed back on which children with less than perfect muscles or coordination could ride in safety.
She doesn't ask much of the mentally and physically challenged youngsters she works with, but this year they decided to show their appreciation by honoring her in a big way.
Nearly 40 children, parents and volunteers gathered to pay tribute to Princess at Holly Ridge Manor on Seaboard Road in Pungo.
Members of the Equi-kids 4-H Club fixed her hair, decorated her stall and brought in refreshments for the occasion.
``It's not often that you have a 41-year-old horse,'' said volunteer Shawn McCarren. ``That's like 123 people years.''
Princess' age has been documented through records of annual testing, but little is known of her background. ``We do know that she spent the 35 years before she came to the Equi-kids program as a lesson horse in this area,'' McCarren said.
``That means that there must be a lot of grown-ups around here now who learned to ride on her.''
Princess joined Equi-kids in 1990 in what was meant to be an easy retirement job. She was supposed to be an equine nanny to a young horse that was going to be used in the program.
Instead, it turned out that Princess was the one who had the qualities needed to be a good therapy horse: patience, gentleness and an understanding of the needs of her sometimes frail riders.
She's been working in the program ever since.
That, according to her veterinarian, Dr. Tom Wood of Princess Anne Equine Practice, is part of what has helped her to live to such a ripe old age.
``Typically, a horse her size would live to about age 30. She's had a lot of loving care by the people of Equi-kids and the volunteers, and she still has a purpose. She hasn't been abandoned.''
Although Princess has a disconcerting tendency to doze off at inopportune times - such as during the singing of ``Happy Birthday'' Saturday afternoon - she still loves to be the center of attention. Even when it means that she has to put up with things that few horses would tolerate.
``We make the kids learn the parts of a horse,'' said Barbara Ford, Equi-kids' executive director. ``We write the names on slips of paper and have them stick them on the part of the horse where they belong. You ought to see her standing there covered with slips of construction paper.''
The one thing that Princess won't tolerate, however, is being ignored.
After she dozed through the birthday song and polished off her ceremonial bunch of carrots, the 4-H'ers returned her to her stall for some rest.
She grabbed a few winks, then woke up to realize that a pair of miniature horses were putting on an exhibition in a nearby ring. She was not pleased.
The small, gray, spotted horse with the warts, sluggish digestive system and dimming senses stuck her head out of her stall and gave a series of whinnies that let everyone know this was her party and it was she who should have the attention.
``The day that she leaves this program, there are going to be a lot of mourners,'' Ford said, ``a whole lot of mourners.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
CANDICE C. CUSIC
The Virginian-Pilot
Michelle Baker, left, Brianne Selig and Matthew Bolt lead Princess
out. Bill Thomas and Amanda Thompson wait for the birthday horse.
by CNB