Mounted Police Horse named Bob

When I was around 12 years old we lived near the Golden Gate Park. There was a place at that time called the Golden Gate Riding Academy. I helped clean stalls and bring in the lesson horses for exchange for riding a horse. I loved going there, it was a beautiful place with lots of history, then one day they tore it down to build a Safeway grocery store. Another place I use to go to, was at the other end of the Golden Gate Park and had to walk quite a distance, it was the Polo Field and the San Francisco Mounted Police Stable. In the early 50's a child could walk through the park without something happening to them...but of course you still had to be careful. My adventures at the Polo Field will be another painting so will save the story for that. 

The Golden Gate Mounted Police Stable was where I had the best time, I was allowed to ride a retired Police Horse named Bob, supposedly a Hero saving someones life in the Ocean. Bob was a tall Bay Morgan or Morgan mix, he had swelling in his hock area, but was not lame. I would ride him around in the arena and then clean him and put him in his stall. I was even allowed to call him my horse. There I learned a great deal about horses and the care for them, the Policemen where always so nice to my sister and me...featured in this my painting of me riding Bob.

San Francisco Beach

Thanks for the push Surly-Mac! the sun today put me in the mood to finish this painting.

I'm still messing around with the font colors, can't make up my mind, just want it to be easy to read...any input would be appreciated

This scene is on our Birthday, March 12th 1951, my mom took us to Playland and the San Francisco Beach. We always went there on weekends and ate at the Cliff House...mom had moved us to San Francisco where she worked at KNBC and then at Fiberboard Paper Products(my sister and I both worked at Fiberboard later on, where the image of me ended up on the SunMaid Raisin box)