Trish, that is a precious story........and I am glad you shared it.....re the boot, he probably forgot all about it!
I can remember one day at Granville gymkhana he brought a horse out on the track for it's preliminary, well it was pulling his arms out of the socket, and he was not happy!......he got out of the gig, took half it's gear off, then put just the bit back in its mouth and started to shake it around profusely in the horses mouth.......you could hear the rattling of its teeth, he then geared it back up.....threw the reins in the dust sheet.... and the horse walked around to the start as quiet as a mouse.
You've got a sister, Isobel, what is she up to these days?