The Queen

Her Majesty the Queen has received some very sad news.

The monarch, who is well known for her love of horses, was told this weekend that her four-year-old horse Space Walker had been put down.

The animal was badly injured following a race at Newbury and it was decided that he should be put to sleep.

Her Majesty has been riding horses since the age of three and was given her first Shetland pony as a gift for her fourth birthday by her grandfather, King George V.

The 94-year-old made horse riding a pivotal part of her lifestyle growing up and throughout her reign and it seems that the Queen's equine interest came in particularly handy for some entertainment during the coronavirus lockdown, when she was isolating at Windsor Castle.

A photo posted by on

The royal family shared some sweet images of the Queen making the most out of the time away from the world, riding her a 14 year-old Fell Pony, Fern, around the grounds of Windsor Castle.

'Her Majesty has enjoyed riding since childhood and is closely involved with the welfare of the horses she owns for breeding, riding and racing,' a spokesperson for Her Majesty wrote beside the images of the Queen with many of her horses over the years.

The Queen

Credit: Getty

Back in 2014, the Queen was even given the International Equestrian Federation Lifetime Achievement Award to praise her for her decades of dedication to horses.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is a life-long lover of horses who has inspired millions around the world. She is a true horsewoman, who still rides whenever state business allows, and her knowledge of breeding and bloodlines is incredible," International Equestrian Federation President Princess Haya of Jordan said when presenting the prestigious award.

Caitlin Elliott
Junior News Editor

Caitlin is a Junior News Editor for Goodto.com, covering all things royal, celeb, lifestyle, food, and family. Having set her sights on becoming a magazine journalist when she was a child, Caitlin took on work experience stints at local papers and titles such as Cosmopolitan, Now, Reveal and Take a Break while studying for her Multimedia Journalism degree and has interviews with celebs, reality stars and the Archbishop of Canterbury under her belt (of course, she couldn't resist asking him about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry).