The Royal Riding Stables

Last spring the girls and I discovered the Old Royal Riding Stables in our neighborhood. We must have ridden our bikes by it 100 times without realizing that a beautiful stable and horses existed behind the nondescript exterior. The stables are no longer affiliated with the Dutch Royal family, but their ornate walls and cobblestone floors remain as a reminder of its origins. The stables are open to the public and on the second floor there is a cafe with a balcony overlooking the indoor arena where you can sit and enjoy a light meal or drinks while watching the lessons below.

It wasn't long after Maisy was born that I discovered she had the horse gene - passed down from grandma Cindy. Maisy loves all animals but she is especially crazy about horses. A few times each month I take the girls to the stables in the afternoon to watch the pony lessons. On any given afternoon you can find school aged children taking riding lessons. We order toasty sandwiches and apple juice and sit on the balcony with all the parents to watch the riding lessons.
This activity usually keeps the girls attention for about 30 minutes, just long enough for them to finish their sandwiches. When they start to get restless we head downstairs to the stables to visit the ponies in their stalls.