The world mourned the loss of Britain's longest-reining monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, when she passed away in September 2022. Her death ushered in a new era for the monarch. Her son, Prince Charles, ascended to the throne, the words to Canada's Royal Anthem were adapted to include "God Save the King," and it is likely that, in time, King Charles III’s image will replace that of Queen Elizabeth II on Canadian currency. Despite these changes, Queen Elizabeth’s lifelong devotion to horses and her profound influence on the world of equestrianism will remain a lasting part of her remarkable legacy.

“There’s huge demand in Canada’s horse industry right now for grooms and caretakers,” says Gayle Ecker, Director of Equine Guelph at the University of Guelph in Ontario.

Helping others live their horse-filled dreams - “I do everything I can to make sure that anybody that has a dream or a wish to be around horses gets that opportunity,” — Brian Tropea.

Ever wondered if ponies can interpret human emotions through facial expressions? While humans may instinctively avoid someone with a furrowed brow, how well do horses understand our feelings? A recent study by Dr. Katrina Merkies, an associate professor and researcher at the University of Guelph, set out to answer this intriguing question. Dr. Merkies and her team conducted an experiment involving 20 lesson ponies and a group of skilled actors to determine whether ponies could distinguish between happy, sad, angry, and neutral human facial expressions.