A Roaney
Scrapbook
In Memory of this old horse
Roaney's
43rd Birthday in 1966
(1966 photo)
Roaney celebrated his 43rd Birthday on St.
Patrick's day, March 17, 1966. Actress, Quinn
O'Hara & county supervisor, William M. Dorn were
at the party. The graying Mustang was believed to be the oldest living
horse in the United States of America and of the world. He had a 60 pound
Birthday cake.
Roaney lived at William S. Hart Park
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 Mr. Hart's Home (1970) |
click house
for larger photo
The bison were donated to Hart Park by Disney
below: They are in the shade under the trees
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Roaney the horse lived at the William S. Hart "Horseshoe Ranch" in Newhall, California. William S. Hart was a cowboy silent movie star. He died in 1946. Mr. Hart was close to friends Will Rogers and artist Charles Russell. The ranch is now a county park. It was 230 acres with buildings in 1960's. It was willed to be a public park by Mr. Hart.
 click chickens for larger photo |
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Besides the horses, residents of the park are, goats,
pigs, chickens, peacocks, deer, & bison. I took the color pictures
at the park in 1970. Mr. Hart willed that Roaney should live the
rest of his life at the Park & then be buried in the cemetery on the
premises beside Fritz, King Valentine, & Gentle, who
served the star during his movie career. Feather Merchant,
28 years old & Freak, 31 years old shared a paddock with
Roaney.
There is a painting done of
William S. Hart and Fritz
The original painting has brilliant bright colors.
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 One of Roaney's horse friends in the corral at the park (1967) |
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About Roaney: Mr.
Hart bought a new horse in 1935 to add to his string on his Newhall Ranch.
Roaney was a working cow pony in Arizona. Roaney became
one of Mr. Hart's favorite horses. He rode him quite often. Roaney
came from Wellington, Arizona in 1935 according to Lloyd P. Hiatt, who
was regional supervisor, who directed the William S. Hart Park. John Imperial,
who came from same part of Arizona in 1928, was Mr. Hart's caretaker, who
was still there in 1969. He took Roaney for walks down the
hillside pasture each morning then put him in the corral near the park
gate where he greeted visitors and accepted sugar and carrots from people.
I too, saw Roaney in the corral when touring the park. He
was calm, quiet & shorter than the other horses in the corral. In 1966
Roaney's once dark glossy coat had turned gray and his eye
were bright and legs were strong. He eventually acquired chronic arthritis.
The graying Mustang was believed to be the oldest living horse in the United
States of America and of the world. Roaney lived with 12
other horses younger than he. Another horse named "Gentle"
that Mr. Hart owned died in 1965 at age 39. At the age 45 on a Friday morning
at 9:15 am (pacific time)Roaney passed
away. He would have been 180 years old, if his life span were measured
by the life expectancy terms of man.
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Above: care taker, Mr. Imperial
with Roaney
(1966 & 1967)
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