Old Billy was a draft horse, probably a Shire, who lived and worked in England in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He was 62 years old when he died.
In those days, that was a pretty advanced age for a human; for a horse, it was remarkable. It's thought that Old Billy is the longest-lived horse on record.
On average, domesticated horses live 25 to 30 years. Ponies tend to live even longer. (Horses in the wild typically make it only to about 15 years old.) But averages can be deceiving, especially when it comes to the lifespans of animals. A lot depends on where a horse lives and how it is or is not cared for. A horse that gets the best food and veterinary care may live beyond 30 years, though it's unlikely Old Billy's record will be broken any time soon.
As with dogs, the ...
