Pilbara horse Minder going strong at 38

A horse that has touched hundreds of lives in Port Hedland is nudging close to double his expected age.

While a horse is considered old at age 21, Anglo-Arab bay horse Minder is 38 and still going strong.

Owner Jamie Woodland said Minder had been ridden by three generations of his family and countless Pilbara locals, and was regarded by those who'd met him as a living legend.

"He's touched a lot of people," Mr Woodland told AAP.

"I don't normally get on Facebook but I started it a couple of months ago and put a couple of photos of Minder on there, and everyone has gone `oh my God, is he still alive?'

"I can't say I've heard of one around that's gone for that long.

"He's a pleasure to be around. He's number one, really."

Minder was perfect for introducing children to horse riding because he was consistently calm and unfazed by things that would spook most horses, Mr Woodland said.

"He's what's known as bomb-proof. You could sort of let a bomb off next to him and he'd go `oh, was that it?'"

Over the decades, Minder has met and charmed a wide variety of people.

"When they started the detention centre in Port Hedland for boat people, they took him into the camp to give the kids a ride and make them smile a bit," Mr Woodland said.

"He's had a few disabled kids on him."

Mr Woodland said anyone who rode Minder asked if they could buy him, but the treasured family member was never for sale.

Minder is now only ridden by the Woodland family children at their new home in Perth's Swan Valley as he shouldn't have too much weight on his back.