Spoil your ponies on August 1

In Australia, every horse has its birthday on the first day of August each year - known as the horses' birthday. And while it might not be their exact birth day, the date of August 1 allows standardisation in horse events, like racing, and is linked to the breeding season of horses.

But whether you own a racehorse, a showjumper or a hack, the horses' birthday on August 1 marks a special day in the yearly calendar to spoil all our equine friends.

For horse trainer Sharmayne Spencer, who runs Heritage Hill, a dedicated horse and rider training and education facility at Moonbi, NSW, August 1 is a day to celebrate everything her equine friends do for them. Sharmayne has been celebrating the horses' birthday since she was a young girl.

"We have always celebrated the horses' birthday, especially as children," said Sharmayne. "More importantly we celebrate it now as we have two little girls."

Equine owners celebrate the horses' birthday in many different ways - from giving their horse the day off from training or making them a cake or spoiling them with treats.

"Definitely lots of carrots here and a fun ride," said Sharmayne. "Two years ago, we even did party hats for the ponies and the girls (they were seven and nine years old then) it was so cute."

But the horses' official birthday is more than just a chance to spoil your equine friends.

"The official date also tells us when horses were born in the southern hemisphere, this then determines when we start them, and what classes they are allowed to go in," said Sharmayne.

"As my husband, Michael Ruddy, is from Scotland, he thinks horses' birthday is January 1, which it is in the northern hemisphere, so it depends where you're from.

"But here at Heritage Hill, the horses' birthday is a good time to recognise the efforts our horses and ponies have put in for the year."

Rebecca Supple, from Queesland, created Supa-licious Products in 2014 to give horse owners the option of giving their ponies a healthy treat.

"We love celebrating the horses' birthday as it's a time to truly celebrate these amazing animals," Rebecca said. "Our treats are made using the finest quality ingredients with 100 percent fruit and veg.

"Our premium range of horse treats include licorice, apple and chia, carrot and turmeric. They are soft and chewy for your horse, easy to put in your pocket and even break into smaller pieces.

"We love that horse owners are embracing horses' birthday (and all year around really) and training with our treats. All horses enjoy being spoilt and why not, they are our best friends!"