But that seems to be the same fat kid sitting on the horse as is shown with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, and little Maya is about the same age, so it looks like the man with the moustache was with them on a tip to the mainland.
Fred, that picture sort of bugs me.
It doesn’t appear processed/Photoshopped. That’s not it.
A trip to the mainland? California? I don’t think so.
For one thing, BO is barefoot. I couldn’t think of any (even 1970s-era) California livery stable that would have let some 10-12-year-old kid ride without footwear of some sort (preferably with heels).
For another, the horses they’re riding don’t look like any standard-issue rental horses I’ve seen at any rental stable in California. Reasons?
(a) The horses are too small. They appear to be no higher than 15 hands. For a kid that’s a good size, but for an adult they might get them a bigger horse.
(b) The tack is Eastern/English style, with ring snaffle bits and metal stirrups. A California livery stable would have Western tack: cheek bar snaffle bits, big leather saddles with horns, and leather/wood stirrups.
Doesn’t look right to me.