Sweet 16

That's right. Speedy G is sixteen years old today. Man, does time ever fly. 

The birthday boy.

It seems like just a few years ago Speedy was a gangly eight-year-old who I was finally starting to like. He came to me as a three-year-old, and when he hit four, I swore I'd never buy another three-year-old again. I said the same thing at four, five, six, and even seven. Young horses are tough.

He's always been pretty.

But here we are, all those years later. I threatened to sell him no less than a million times during those first five years. Of course, I am so glad I didn't. Speedy may not be perfect, but he's perfect  for me.

And those eyes ...

Somewhere around age ten, I realized that Speedy was dead broke. Once he hit that level of maturity, things got a lot more fun. He was trustworthy in any situation and is even more level-headed today.

With many more to come.

But of course, dead broke and level-headed come at a price. Every birthday means he has fewer good years ahead than when he was a spicy six-year-old. Arabians tend to be long-lived, but with Speedy's issues, that might not be true for him. I try not to think about it too much. Instead, I make an effort to live in the here and now with him. 

Happy birthday, my friend. And here's to many, many more!