The Real Reason Queen Elizabeth Had To Stop Riding Her Horses

Queen Elizabeth is a well-documented animal lover and is rumored to have owned as many as nine Corgis (her famous trademark breed of choice) at one time, per Vogue. The outlet reported her dogs sleep in their own suite — dubbed the "corgi room" — inside Buckingham Palace and have meals prepared by their own chef. As royal biographer Penny Junor told The Sun, "They have over the years been closer to her than any human being ... they have never let her down." 

The queen is also a lifelong devotee of horses. As the official royal family Twitter account wrote in May 2020, "Her Majesty has enjoyed riding since childhood and is closely involved with the welfare of the horses she owns for breeding, riding and racing." The tweet included photos of Queen Elizabeth interacting with horses over the course of her life. 

Per People, the queen was gifted a Shetland pony — her first equine love — at 4 years old. Elizabeth's fondness for the animals and the sport of horseback riding was then passed down to her daughter, Princess Anne, and granddaughter, Zara Tindall. Anne even became the first royal to compete in the Olympics when she entered the 1976 Games in Montreal's equestrian event.

Given the news of her sudden late-October hospitalization, what does this mean for Elizabeth and her future as a hobby equestrian? 

Queen Elizabeth has been on break from her cherished hobby of horseback riding since early September, and as a source told The Sun, she's not happy about it. "She was in quite a bit of discomfort," the insider's scoop explained. "She adores riding and it has been part of her ritual for most of her life. She has been extremely disappointed not to go riding since the beginning of September."

Elizabeth's health has been a matter of public discussion since she was hospitalized at King Edward VII's Hospital the night of October 20, per the Daily Mail. Prior to this news was announced, the monarch had canceled a scheduled trip to mark Northern Ireland's 100th anniversary and been spotted walking with assistance from a cane, as noted by People. 

Despite canceling a few more subsequent engagements, Buckingham Palace reassured that Elizabeth was on the mend at the time. "Following medical advice to rest for a few days, the Queen attended hospital on Wednesday afternoon for some preliminary investigations, returning to Windsor Castle at lunchtime today and remains in good spirits," its official statement read. People insiders also revealed that Elizabeth herself expected to be back on the horse (literally) as soon as she's rested up.