The Royal is a Toronto institution. We’re off to check it out tomorrow, in honour of which I am posting one of my favourite videos. Enjoy.

And here is their rather over-wrought ad for 2008. Lol.

Ignore the puns about nightmares and horsin’ around, and check out this young mare who ended up doing a Winnie the Pooh.

Although it’s a rather sad reflection on the world when people’s first instinct is to grab a camera and grab some pix to post on the net before helping a creature in distress. Apparently she is recovering, and hopefully she will have learned a lesson.

Today we visited the old barn, as the attached store was having its amazing sale. Any parent with horse-mad kids knows it is not a cheap hobby. Some call it the sport of kings. In the absence of any opportunity to tax peasants, we have to wait for the sales at the local tack shops and saddleries.

After snagging a few bargains, we asked if we could visit the horses for auld lang syne. It was a strangely moving experience. Like so many other riders in the area, this is where my equesteriennes started out. I was particularly moved by this:

Bruno

Bruno was the first horse both my equestriennes rode in their lessons. He was sure and steady, unlikely to give a new rider any untowards surprises, a consummate “schoolie” (schooling horse). Parents didn’t have to worry too much about their kids taking a tumble (or even an unscheduled canter before they were ready for it!) with Bruno. He died last month and they have made a memorial in his old stall. That’s his bridle there, among the straw and flowers.

Farewell to a fine fellow.