Since 1760, one of the finest stables anywhere in the world has been "The Royal Mews" next to Buckingham Palace in London. "Mews" is the British term for barn or stable originally referring to the barn where falcons and hawks were kept during the moulting (mewing) season. King George III built the original stable and carriage house when he moved into his new home in the Palace. It has been upgraded by several monarchs since that time and still serves as the home for the royal horses and carriages. It is no longer the small stable it once was. It is now a grand structure housing a riding school, a forge, and living quarters not only for horses but for their handler's and the handler's families as well.
The Royal Mews is the department that looks after all royal road travel whether by car (boring) or horse-drawn carriage (cool!)
The day at the stables begins at 6 a.m.. Horses are fed and brushed. Stalls are cleaned. Horses are regularly exercised and trained in carriage driving. Thirty of the Queen's Windsor Greys and Cleveland Bays live there. The Windsor Greys are not a breed but horses that are selected for color and temperament. Cleveland Bays are a breed, originating in the Cleveland District of Yorkshire. The breed is considered the oldest non-draft English breed, developed by the church of England to carry goods and people to remote areas of the kingdom. This breed of horse is very rare. There are only about 500 of them in the world.
If you are lucky enough to visit London, be sure to take a tour of the Mews. Here is a map to show you where it is located:
I am so excited to tell you that my new book, The Stone of Courage-Book 2 of the Centaur Chronicles, will be released in just 2 weeks! It is the continuation of the Award-winning series that started with The Stone of Mercy. The new book will be available wherever books are sold on April 15th. Autographed copies are available now on my website: www.dancinghorsepress.com
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