Introduction
Her Majesty the Queen leads a life of demanding duty, her days filled with affairs of State and public matters, and much of her work undertaken in a blaze of publicity. Happily she can find relaxation in one of her favourite occupations - riding. For Her Majesty horses and riding have been a lifelong interest that she now shares with her family, and horse-lovers everywhere have reason to be thankful for the encouragement the Queen's example has given to the growing revival of all forms of riding and driving.
The Queen's knowledge of racehorses and their breeding is well known, but her interest does not stop at these valuable blood animals and their careers. The Queen has an equal feeling for her- own riding horses, whether they are the magnificent animals presented to her by Heads of State, or of more humble origin like her mare Betsy; for the carriage horses; the polo ponies at Windsor, the deer ponies in Scotland, or for the numerous children's ponies that have always been part of her own and her family's life. And it is these animals, in whose characters, foibles, schooling and breeding Her Majesty takes an equal delight, that are the subject of this book. These horses and ponies are to be found at Windsor, Sandringham and Balmoral, and with the gracious permission of Her Majesty and the help of all concerned, it was possible to visit them at length during the months between April 1964 and January 1965; to photograph the Queen and her family in their leisure hours, riding and enjoying their horses and ponies; and to study the animals themselves until they emerged as distinct personalities.