I think when it comes down to it, most of us seek to feel safe, loved and valued. I believe animals are looking for the same thing too, especially in old age.
When my grandmother died, I felt such profound loss, not just of her and our relationship, but of her knowledge. All the things I ever thought I might ask, every story I never heard, every bit of wisdom not shared was gone.
Lately, I’ve been appreciating being ‘in the moment’ with my older animals — my cat, Jasmine, of 15 years, and my horse, Anastasia, of unknown years but undoubtedly a great many. Anastasia, in particular, seems to be coming towards the end of her grand life—a life I’ve known for only a year.
I rescued Anastasia from death in August 2010. She was set to be slaughtered for, what I can only assume, were reasons pertaining to her age. When my friend, Jane, picked Anastasia up from the slaughterhouse holding yard, body parts from her fellow equine friends lay scattered on the ground. Anastasia was next in line.It’s a fate I see and hear about all too frequently.
Why do people abandon their aged animals right when the animal needs them to stand up for them the most?
People have their reasons, such as that the horse is ‘no use’ any more, or because of finances. It’s true that Anastasia costs more to care for than my young horses. I support her arthritis with supplements and her immune system with herbs. And as she is less mobile than the others, she tends to hang around the house so I can feed her from the shed, rather than forage with the others.
But what I get back from Anastasia is unquantifiable. For those who believe that a horse needs to have ‘a use’, I would argue that aged horses have a tremendous amount to offer. They’re generally more patient and less reactive (therefore less likely to injure a child). They’re generally less active and therefore less likely to break down fences or be a nuisance. They have a lifetime of experience that makes them wonderful for nervous adults and children alike.
Perhaps more importantly, they also offer us the chance to appreciate life in all its stages, teaching us to see beauty and value at any age. What a wonderful gift to teach our children! What wonderful lessons to share about commitment and honor and relationships. And wouldn’t it be nice to think that when we’re old and needing extra support that others might see the same value in us as well?
In a culture obsessed by youth and vigour, our aged populations all too often get the short end of the stick. Animals reflect back to us so much about ourselves and if we have a throw-away attitude about our aged animals then chances are we might have the same attitude about our aged people too.(And you know what they say… what goes around, comes around.)
In my work for Charlie’s Angels Horse Rescue, I often receive emails or phone calls about an aged horse that is no longer any ‘use’, that the person wishes to give away or send to slaughter. The person asks me, exasperated, ‘but what else can I do with it?’ I take a deep breath before gently suggesting that perhaps they might consider loving and caring for it for the rest of its life. (I’ve yet to have the person change their mind, and so I then do my best to help re-home the horse.)
Anastasia may be heading towards crossing over, but I couldn’t feel more honoured to be sharing this phase of life with her. She approaches each day with patience, acceptance and wisdom. She knows how to look after herself; she knows how to manage her physical limitations (without complaint); and she is a reservoir of unimaginable life experience. All that wisdom that is there, just waiting for us to take the time to listen to.
Our home is truly more rich and blessed to have had Anastasia in it. My wish for the senior animals of the world is that they are honoured, loved and cherished in their later life, just as we all hope we will be one day too.
