A much loved 50-year-old gelding, that lived for almost twice as long as the average horse, has died on the Gold Coast.
Calypso was thought to be one of the oldest horses in Australia when he celebrated the milestone with a birthday party in the Tallebudgera Valley on the official horses' birthday, August 1, last year.
Jenny Dyson-Holland, Calypso's carer, said she found the quarter horse dead in his paddock on Saturday morning.
"He was such a tough old boy," Ms Dyson-Holland said.
"Quarter horses are renowned for being tough but he just had a will to live.
"Right to the last day he was lively, eating and happy."
Calypso was almost completely blind and deaf in his final years under the care of Ms Dyson-Holland, who owns the Belle-Ayr Agistment and Training Centre.
"I always used to say 'he needs spectacles and hearing aids'," she said.
The small horse had a big following on social media and local children would often visit him in his paddock.
"Everyone loved him and everyone knew who he was," Ms Dyson-Holland said.
Calypso's longevity surprised equine veterinarian Rhian Partridge when the gelding turned 50 last year, which she said was like 150 in human years.
"It has done amazingly well to get to this age," the Gold Coast-based vet said.
"Just like with people, it's obviously got good genes.
"It's obviously been well cared for throughout its lifetime and I would probably say that it is very fortunate that it has probably held onto its teeth for quite a long time."
Dr Partridge said most horses died between 25 and 30 years of age.
Horse mistreated
Jenny Dyson-Holland said the horse was born in 1969 and spent his first years at a riding school in New South Wales, until he was bought by the Nakic family.
The family relocated Calypso to the Gold Coast hinterland in 2004.
"He was an abused pony before Marie [Nakic] got him, so he had a lot of trust issues," she said.
"I was the only one who could catch him and handle him.
"I guess it was over the 15 years that I've been looking after him we bonded."
