09 September 2022

The Queen's love of horses

Did you know?

Horses had been at the centre of the Queen’s life since a young age.

She had her first riding lesson at just three years old and was given her first pony, a Shetland called Peggy, by her grandfather King George V for her fourth birthday.

Over the course of her life, one of her favourite horses was called Burmese, a mare who was presented to her at the Royal Windsor Horse Show by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1969.

The Queen would go on to ride Burmese for 18 years at the Trooping of the Colour.

She was extremely knowledgeable about breeding horses, including Thoroughbreds, as well as Shetlands, Highlands and Fell ponies.

As the monarch she was the patron of the British Horse Society, the Fell Pony Society, the Highland Pony Society, the Shire Horse Society, the Welsh Pony and Cob Society, and the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association and we are so thankful for all she did to further the cause of animal welfare, along with her family, in particular her daughter HRH The Princess Royal. You can read more about her history with horses here: yourhorse.co.uk/news/in-memoriam-queen-elizabethii

For her 90th birthday, Redwings was proud to be one of only two equine charities featured in a commemorative book all about the Queen, and we were so honoured to be chosen to help celebrate our wonderful monarch's love of our four-legged friends.

We send our deepest condolences to her family at this incredibly sad time and we know her horses and all her beloved animals will miss her dreadfully too.

Ride on, Your Majesty, with love from all at Redwings.

Photo credits: Teaser image - Henry Dallal. Primary image - Unknown. Book images - Redwings Horse Sanctuary