Ted’s Birthday Bash

15 Oct, 2017

Five Reasons to Celebrate Your Horse’s Birthday

This rang true recently at our yard in the Cape Winelands of South Africa. Boudenhausen Heitabur also known as Teddy Bear, Teddy, Ted and The Bear was to have an18th birthday to remember. His favourite humans gathered in festive mood; bubbles flowed, carrot cake was devoured and Ted took great interest in his stash of gifts.

So here are five good reasons to celebrate the anniversary of your equine’s birth:

A bottle or two of bubbly quaffed with carrot cake is an all time foodie-high and should be compulsory at horsy birthdays of all ages.
The gifts will lean strongly toward the carrot variety. Ted’s loot included miniature, organic and even the chef’s cut. Your horse will score a cache of carrots to last days.
Your furkid deserves to be applauded for all the love, fun, adventure, learning and happiness he or she brings into your life.
A birthday party is a great excuse for a fun photo shoot. Put some effort into the location, take time with fun styling and you will come away with a wonderful set of memories.
You will (most likely) outlive your equine friend and so to indulge in some festivities over the birthday milestones is something you will be forever happy that you did.

Top Tips:
Invite all the key people in your and your horse’s life without making it too big. Around ten was my ideal number. Inviting other horses is a tricky question. Mostly they take too much interest in the gifts to the flat-eared annoyance of the birthday boy or girl. I usually leave them off the list and make amends later.
Bubbles and carrot cake is a truly sublime combination but consider adding some savoury options too. You can go as over-the-top as you like. I have seen cupcakes with printed icing featuring an image of the horse (confession-alert, I did this for a friend’s horse).
Google children’s party ideas for even more outlandish inspirations.
Create a virtual photo booth by choosing a picturesque area to style and decorate. The light should be soft and coming in at an angle so not directly behind or in front of the subjects. Provide some small chalkboards and chalk so the guests can pose with personalised birthday messages.
Make a carrot bouquet. Skewer the base of about twenty carrots with wooden kebab sticks. Gather the sticks together with a flashy organza bow and make a memorable entrance. Teddy loved his and instantly set about demolishing it.
Your horse’s birthday bash is fabulous fodder for your Instagram and Facebook accounts. Hash tag with creative abandon.

©jan norman2017