Omg today is Presto’s 4th birthday. Can you believe it? He’s officially an “adult”. It’s the biggest, most monumental birthday for a horse really, comparative to when a human turns 18. In a lot of ways this has felt like a looooooooooooooooong time coming (there is nothing slower than the first 3 years of a horse’s life, I’m convinced) but in other ways it feels like only yesterday that this little noodle popped out with no warning, in the middle of the afternoon, right into a hay bale.

I’ve been obsessed with him since I first saw that one little white foot and white nose poking out, and the obsession hasn’t really abated. Of course, we went through the ringer during the first month of his life (I absolutely DREAD the facebook memories that are going to be popping up over the next couple weeks, it’s still hard to re-live) but here we are anyway, sliding into his 4yo year Tokyo Drift style. Megan made sure he had his birthday cookies this morning, and he spent last night romping around a 30 acre field with a buddy having a party of his own design. A very Presto way to celebrate.

I had bought him a sash and a hat and big 4 balloon a few months ago in anticipation of our usual birthday photo, but of course the plans changed and now he’s not here. Boo. I’ll have to save it all for next year (except the giant silver 4, of course… not sure what to do with that…). Since we didn’t get to do a birthday photo shoot this year I figured I’d repost some of his past ones.

1 year

2 years

3 years

I still get a little emotional if I think too hard about his birthdays. Or, specifically, just how close we came (many times) to him not ever actually having any. Tugs on the heartstrings to think about what the alternative could have been, for sure.

If I was a good mom I would have sent a birthneigh cake or a box of Oatmeal Creme Pies for him, but in all the bustle of getting him sorted to leave for Ocala last week his birthday kind of snuck up on me and I forgot until it was too late. Terrible mother. Luckily Megan is there to pick up the slack.

Happy birthday, kiddo! Hope you’re having fun in paradise. The fact that he’s too tired from his party last night to even chew his birthday cookies with much gusto tells me that he must be having a fine time.