Animals have been an important part of our lives since Elisabeth and I married. I grew up with dogs, but was allergic to them; so I did not have a dog in my own home until Elisabeth's love for animals and the children's requests overcame my resistance.

More than dogs, Elisabeth loves horses. Shortly after marriage, we bought her a horse, which she boarded in a rural community outside Riverside. "Dante" was followed by a succession of horses, usually thoroughbreds, but some thoroughbred crosses. Eventually, we bought a horse for my daughter and a horse for me; so we were boarding three horses.

Until my son, David, was born and demanded most of my time outside work, our free time was spent at our boarding ranch, taking lessons, occasionally going to shows, and trailering horses around Riverside. After David's birth, I gave up riding and gave my horse, Riddle, an Arab-Quarter mix, to our friend, Linda, who owns a ranch in northern California. Riddle lived for another twenty years, happy and healthy, outdoors on pasture, dying in 2006 at the age of 28.