BILLIE
The Paris Kollection Equine Elder Bio
Billie’s Human Caretaker: Taylor Beckett, Silver Willow Farm, Haldimand, Ontario
Trips around the sun: 36
Billie is a large bay draft cross. He has marks on his body that have shown his hard work and when the sun hits him just right, you can see how he must have been formidable in his youth when he worked the fields.
Here is Billie’s story as told by his human, Taylor.
Billie had worked hard as a Mennonite horse and went to auction when his work career was over. He was purchased by a woman who boarded him with me from 2017. When he arrived, he was tough, hard on the other horses and untrusting but obedient to humans. He was sore and tired, and struggled to hold his back legs when trimmed. Over the years, he softened. He stayed a strong herd leader, but rarely used his physical strength to demand respect. Instead, he started using it to protect the weaker members of the herd, including sheep and goats. He started working with people in healing work, showing a depth of compassion and wisdom that helped open people's hearts and helped them face their fears. Despite enjoying his retirement, he does miss his days working the fields. When we were using the tractor to harrow a rough patch, we paused to move some things out of the way. Billie took the pause to step into the traces, tossing his head and ready to work. He helped me stop looking at his hard past as a negative and instead saw that he enjoyed the work and had pride and drive to do it. He was not happy with us when we asked him to step out of the traces, but we don’t have the equipment to set up something light for him to pull. He is no longer sore; he can easily stand for his feet to be trimmed and canters around when the mood hits him. He came into my ownership in October 2023 when his previous owner had some financial hardship and I am overjoyed to be responsible for his care in his golden years. But from the moment he stepped on the farm in 2017, I felt like he was one of mine.
He is a battle axe. We call him the dinosaur because of his size and build, but it is the fact that he looks like he survived being a Middle Ages war horse is my favourite part about him. He arrived as a senior but in the last 7 years here, it is like he is getting younger and stronger, but with less teeth.
Billy lived a full life and is so completely him, and that is what I will remember most about him. He just IS.
Trips around the sun: 36
Billie is a large bay draft cross. He has marks on his body that have shown his hard work and when the sun hits him just right, you can see how he must have been formidable in his youth when he worked the fields.
Here is Billie’s story as told by his human, Taylor.
Billie had worked hard as a Mennonite horse and went to auction when his work career was over. He was purchased by a woman who boarded him with me from 2017. When he arrived, he was tough, hard on the other horses and untrusting but obedient to humans. He was sore and tired, and struggled to hold his back legs when trimmed. Over the years, he softened. He stayed a strong herd leader, but rarely used his physical strength to demand respect. Instead, he started using it to protect the weaker members of the herd, including sheep and goats. He started working with people in healing work, showing a depth of compassion and wisdom that helped open people's hearts and helped them face their fears. Despite enjoying his retirement, he does miss his days working the fields. When we were using the tractor to harrow a rough patch, we paused to move some things out of the way. Billie took the pause to step into the traces, tossing his head and ready to work. He helped me stop looking at his hard past as a negative and instead saw that he enjoyed the work and had pride and drive to do it. He was not happy with us when we asked him to step out of the traces, but we don’t have the equipment to set up something light for him to pull. He is no longer sore; he can easily stand for his feet to be trimmed and canters around when the mood hits him. He came into my ownership in October 2023 when his previous owner had some financial hardship and I am overjoyed to be responsible for his care in his golden years. But from the moment he stepped on the farm in 2017, I felt like he was one of mine.
He is a battle axe. We call him the dinosaur because of his size and build, but it is the fact that he looks like he survived being a Middle Ages war horse is my favourite part about him. He arrived as a senior but in the last 7 years here, it is like he is getting younger and stronger, but with less teeth.
Billy lived a full life and is so completely him, and that is what I will remember most about him. He just IS.
“A depth of compassion and wisdom that helped open people's hearts.”
The Paris Kollection
Embracing and enhancing the passage of time as portrayed through images and stories of our beloved elders,
both equine and human.
Embracing and enhancing the passage of time as portrayed through images and stories of our beloved elders,
both equine and human.