Our featured horse of the month for August is Peter!
Peter with a young junior rider.
This month we are featuring, and even more so, celebrating, Peter as our horse of the month. Peter is a nineteen-year-old draft cross. He has been at Lancers since he was two and a stallion (but was later gelded)! Peter is a beautiful bay with a white stripe and two white socks! For the past seventeen years, Lancers has been home to Peter.
In his many years here, Peter has had a chance to try everything! He has been ridden in lessons for both junior and adult riders, summer camp, rider level testing, shows, and even Musical Ride. After years of great service, Peter officially retired from the Musical Ride at the Atlantic Fall Fair in 2016.
Peter at the Downtown Horse Show in 2014
He has been a great teacher and even though he can be spooky, he always managed to do his job well. Aboard Peter, riders could learn what things were “supposed to feel like”. Peter has always known his job and was a horse that you could always count on. As one of our junior riders said, “he always knew what to do in the show ring”. But he is well known for his fear of water!
Peter had a great time competing last weekend at the 26th Annual Downtown Horse Show with Manya, who has fallen in love with Peter this year, and Jill who has been fortunate enough to learn from Peter over many years. Peter came away with many ribbons, won the 2’ Hunter Division, and certainly seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed himself! The Downtown Horse Show was a very special event, yet bittersweet because it marked Peter’s official retirement from Lancers.
Jill showing Peter for one last time!
We value our Lancer horses greatly and want them to be able to enjoy many happy days. Peter has been very well loved at Lancers and at the age of nineteen, we feel we should honour his service with a fantastic retirement. Peter is still a fantastic mount but will be enjoying slower days filled with lots of sunshine and pasture at his new home in Southern Ontario. Our “retire a school horse program” is coming very soon (stay tuned) and Peter will be a great example of how school horses are deserving of retirement. It takes a very special character to be a school horse and Peter has exemplified the Lancer horse spirit in his willingness to teach, care, and help his riders grow.
Thank you, Peter, for your many years of service to Lancers. From our instructors, staff, junior and adult riders, and Lancer alumni, we wish you the best and hope you enjoy the Ontario wind blowing in your mane!
Peter's Retirement Party at the Downtown Horse Show (July 30, 2017)
