Prodney’s Blog: Hello from Park Lane’s ‘oldies field’ in Surrey

I gather that some of my legions of fans have been asking after me as I haven’t been in Teddington for a while. So this blog comes from our fields in Surrey where I’m spending the winter with some of the other ‘golden oldies’ from the team.

I think I look adorable in this photograph, though one of the volunteers said I look like a Labrador which I don’t understand (humans can be weird). That mash was just SOOOO good!

It seems that a few people have asked: “With all this horrible weather, wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a nice warm stable?” Well it might seem odd to you humans, but the answer’s no, not for us horses, and especially as we get older. Here’s why.

A field, to us, is the equivalent of a nice cosy house for you. It’s our perfect retirement home. In a field we can keep our old bones mobile and get down and have a good old roll in the mud. Which is a bit like you having a hot bath, honest. We’ve got Hunter field shelters here to keep the weather off. They’re pretty top notch, were funded by a charitable foundation, and are very much appreciated by all of us. And of course we have rugs on our backs, so really we have the best of both worlds – shelter as well as freedom to stretch our legs.

We graze on buckets of our favourite mineral licks, too, which are great for snacking and keeping healthy. The volunteers also hang vegetables in the trees for us so we have to go looking for them. (The neighbours must think they’re a bit odd.) I approve of this ploy to keep us on the move but I think they should tell me where they are as I am Chief Equine Officer after all. It can be a bit humiliating if the others find them before I do.

We get meals on wheels four or five times a day, with volunteers visiting on rotation to check that we have everything we need and to administer medication. Just like humans, in old age we need a bit of help. I’m in rude health (some say mostly just rude), apart from my old body slowing down, but Mini, for example, has Cushings disease. She’s 31 now and was a huge favourite of so many riders before she hung up her horseshoes to retire. We all get supplements, too, courtesy of our generous friends at Equine America, and they definitely help to keep us active. This winter has been cold, wet and muddy, but we’re brought plenty of hay until the grass returns in the spring. And I get the warm mash that I can hoover up with my gums, which is a bit like your porridge, no teeth required!

I confess that my hearing and sight are not what they once were, which can be confusing, but life in a field with my old friends and all of us being doted on is a pretty good life. As you can see, my partner in crime Nat is a regular visitor. And come the spring, you can expect me to be in my ‘meet and greet’ role in Teddington once in a while. After all, having helped raise the money for the rubber matting in the stalls, I’d like to get to stand on it!

At Park Lane Stables we care for our ponies for life, doing whatever it takes to ensure that they enjoy a good life until its natural end. After all they’ve done for us it’s the least we can do for them. If you’d like to send us one of their fabulous mineral lick buckets, you’ll find them on the Percy’s Pet Products website. Both Prodney and Mini are also in our sponsorship programme, which is only £20 per year per horse and really helps towards their care.

Prodney is Chief Equine Officer (CEO) at Park Lane Stables, and achieved celebrity status following the TV coverage in 2021. And yes, he really is a bit of a star on YouTube and TikTok. Just search for Park Lane Stables and do follow us!