anybody know where the "Bush is afraid of horses" came from?

[NMDemDist2]

references? sources? quotes?

thanks in advance

[Roland99]

1. Go here!

http://whitehousewest.com/

[NMDemDist2]

3. funny but not "proof" n/t

[Barney Rocks]

2. he uses a truck (not a

horse) to get around his ranch. Of course--everyone that I know with significant property does the same thing (horses are not the most efficient way to get around a large ranch)--but it could indicate that he doesn't like or even is afraid of horses. Surely he would keep some just for the photo ops if he liked them?

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. I saw a post here a while back referencing a visit with Vincente Fox..

And that Fox is an avid horseman, who tried to convince GWB to join him on a ride during a state visit...to no avail. MKJ

[Barney Rocks]

5. yes--I have heard Fox

likes horses. I imagine that if Bush liked them even a little bit that he would have some around for a photo op?

[kskiska]

14. On Putin's visit to the ranch

he was anxious to ride, as he enjoys the American West. Unfortunately, he didn't get to ride.

Vicente Fox had two horses at the ready when * arrived at his ranch. * patted one on the nose, but declined the ride.

[Lisa]

6. there's an interview with Craig Stapleton ...

... ambassador to the Czech Republic, and married to a Bush cousin -- who claims that Bush is very awkward with horses. Sorry, no link -- it was a Czech publication online a couple of years back, and it's since disappeared.

[elperromagico]

7. Do you know anybody else who owns a "ranch," yet doesn't ride horses?

Hmm?

[Barney Rocks]

10. actually, most of the

people that I know who have really large ranches don't ride horses. That kind of cowboy went out with the advent of the pickup truck. My uncle (among a lot of other things) owned quite a lot of property and over 300,000 (yes that is right) head of cattle. I never saw him on a horse--his ranch was so large that it would have taken days to check fences and move cattle around using a horse. He always used a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Modern day ranchers do not ride around on horses (that is why Reagan looked so phoney). However, he did love horses (as he did all animals) and he had grown up riding them for fun. They were just inefficient for a large ranch. He did have one horse on the main property, but it didn't even belong to him--it belonged to a cousin who needed a place to keep it. My family used to laugh at Reagan for posing around on a horse like he was a rancher--when a real rancher would not be out checking the ranch on a horse. Riding a horse around is not something you would automatically expect from a modern day rancher. But I am going to give Reagan the benefit of the doubt--I think he really liked horses and just enjoyed riding for fun. I don't think W. does--but I don't know why--could be because he is afraid, could be because they are inefficient, and as my cousins felt--slow, boring and smelly (they liked roaming the ranch in motorized vehicles--much faster and more fun). Girls being girls I am surprised the twins never wanted a horse. Girls seem to love horses--very few men that I know like spending lots of time in the saddle.

[elperromagico]

13. The ranches you hang out at are fucked up.

jk :D

[Barney Rocks]

18. Sorry but horseback just isn't a profitable

or efficient way to get around a lot of acreage. In my youth I rode around the big ranch with my uncle (in the pickup truck) He told me that if you started at his ranch house and rode every bit of his fence line on a horse or a mule, that it would take a week to get back to the ranch. In the pick-up he could survey all his property in about 6 hours. (one reason it would take so long is because horses have to rest, eat, etc). Plus he would have lots of supplies in the back--things that he needed to take care of the cattle and mend fences and stuff. Pretty nice to haul all that junk in the pick up as opposed to having to haul along along a whole string of pack animals to carry the supplies.

The old fashioned ranching, is a picturesque way of life that is largely gone by the wayside. I can't think of any reason why Bush would practice it?

[Bridget Burke]

28. Bush's ranch is not a real one.

He's not in the cattle business. The ranch was bought for him as a setting for photo ops. The image of a man on horseback is a classic one I'm sure his handlers would love to use--but he can't stay on a Segway.

You don't say where you hail from, but I've lived most of my life in Texas. A bit of history; in the old days, cattle were driven from central Texas to the coast to munch on the coastal salt grass. Back in the 50's, a few media types got together with a couple of ranchers who had an old chuck wagon & rode from Brenham to Houston. (They didn't bring any cattle.) This was a promotion for Houston's Fat Stock Show--now the Houston Stock Show & Rodeo. Every year, numerous Trail Rides now converge on Houston; people take vacation time so they can participate. There are trail rides starting in Louisiana, vaqueros coming all the way from the Valley, and African-Americans proudly commemorating their ancestors' links to the land. Some of these people are professional ranchers--who do still use horses for some functions. Others, descended from ranchers, now make their living in other ways but love to recreate the old days. And some are newcomers who've bought land--but love horses. Yes, horses can be expensive--but lots of Texans still ride.

Too bad the Bush family never cared for that sort of stuff. Pa Bush could have bought a piece of the Hill Country--prettier than Crawford but now quite expensive--back in the day. But he bought houses in Midland or Houston & sold them when the family moved. When Bush Sr was president, his Texas address was The Houstonian Hotel & Spa here in Houston.

Bush ain't a real cowboy. He's not even a hobbyist rancher.

[Barney Rocks]

29. I have lived a lot of

places (including a stay in Texas). The only ranch that I have spent quality time on belonged to my uncle and it was not in Texas, but in the Pacific North West.

I agree that the ranch is just a photo-op. My theory is that Bush dislikes animals--you can tell by the way he treats Barney--a prop is all poor Barney is. Horses are a lot of work, and they are not that useful nowadays. People who have them--usually I have found it is because they LIKE them. I don't think Bush wants to be bothered, so he doesn't. (in contrast Reagan who also was not a real rancher did appear to love animals both dogs and horses, so he had lots of them around and he seemed to treat them quite well.)

Anyway, I think Bush hates critters. I am sure that horses everywhere are glad that he does not want them. But--based on my relative owning a very large and successful ranch--I did feel that I should point out that real ranchers use more efficient ways to ride the range nowadays.

Although I am sure that many people do have ride them for fun and at functions and not just in Texas. I have done so myself--I have ridden horses in parades (I was Grand Marshall of a parade a few years ago and rode a horse). However, I don't see what that has to do with this. My point, is that he seems to dislike ALL animals (I wouldn't necessarily call it fear, more a lack of empathy for their needs) and so I don't expect to see him cuddling up to lots of critters. He is very unnatural when he tries to pretend to like Barney. I don't think his handlers want to have to deal with more of that kind of photo (like where he drops Barney or drags him by the leash). Yes a horse can make a good photo op--but only if you are not a psycho that mistreats animals. Anyway--that is how I see him--someone who would be whipping a horse mercilessly not cowering in fear from one. But we all can see him in different ways.

[bklyncowgirl]

30. Bush doesn't like animals--horses sense fear and aggressiveness

You could have a point here.

Bush could be the sort of person who just doesn't like animals and consequently animals don't like him. This may not be much of a consequence if the animal is a small dog, but if you're dealing with a 1000 pound horse who has decided that you are a threat to his safety, or just thinks you're an asshole, you my friend are in big trouble.

I used to teach riding and lead trail rides in the urban ranges of New York City. We'd get alot of presumably smart, aggressive, arrogant guys who'd come in hoping to impress their girlfriends. These guys would make two assumptions 1. riding is just an atheletic activity and 2. horses are stupid. It was always a treat to watch their complete and utter humiliation at the hands of experienced hack horses who instinctively knew who and what they were. I'd usually add to their embarrassment by either getting on the beast myself (or better yet finding some little horse-wise girl) to put the horse through his paces. A few minutes of watching the same horse trot, canter, spin and maybe pop over a fence or two without any visible or audible cues would bring these guys down a peg.

As I've posted before, horses are living bullshit detectors. I'm guessing that a control freak like Bush's encounters with horses have been unpleasant and so therefore, as tempting as photo ops of W on the range herding his cattle might be, he does not do horses.

[Barney Rocks]

32. Exactly! That is what I have been trying to say--

I think he would treat the horses badly--I bet he thinks that they are stupid and he is a genius. It is not worth it for his handlers to go to all that trouble for a photo-op that could easily go quite bad. I think he is exactly the kind of arogant jerk that would be seen pulling on the reins, kicking, raising his voice, and whipping the poor horse. And unlike little Barney, a horse is big enough to do some damage to him when he acts like an asshole. To me this fits his personality to a t--the fear thing doesn't--because he is so aggressive that I can't imagine him admitting fear of an animal (even to himself).

I love horses too--and I am VERY glad he doesn't have any. (on behalf of horses everywhere). In my opinion, he would be aggressive and mean--so please keep the animals away from this guy. They are not really that necessary to give the "illusion" of a working ranch anyway.

[Lisa]

15. admittedly, horses do require attention ...

Feeding, mucking out, exercising, etc. -- we know that the Shrub isn't fond of manual labor other than brushcutting (word has it that he's not handy at household repairs and such) -- and I suppose his Beautiful Mind (insert Bush family trademark here) simply can't be bothered with shovelling oats and manure.

Perhaps one or both of the twins did ask for a horse at some time, but W gave them such a hard time for "whining" (meanwhile spending tons of dough on his own toys, such as autographed baseballs) that they gave up. The way he teases them about that swimming pool -- which he appears to use more than they do -- no wonder! Another, darker possibility is that they might have been concerned about what he might do if he stepped in a horse-bun and lost his temper.

[Barney Rocks]

19. yeah--my thought is

that he just doesn't care much for living creatures--doesn't really have much feeling for them beyond the photo op. He doesn't have any use for a horse--so he doesn't waste his time on a horse. I think he is a very simplistic man.

[LiberalFighter]

20. Could one of those horse buns be planted at the foot...

of gw*s podium tonight?

[fortyfeetunder]

8. Maybe he fell off of one while eating a pretzel

Or, pardon the pun, horsing around while intoxicated...

[oasis]

9. Double trouble:Bush is quite clumsy and not good with animals.

[gauguin57]

11. Sometimes, when the Amish teen-agers here in Lancaster County, PA,

are going through their church-sanctioned period of rebellion, rumspringa (yeah, "Amish in the City"), they get drunk at a barn dance and drive the buggy or wagon home while intoxicated. The horses weave all over the road as the kid falls asleep in an alcoholic haze. (and they get cited for drunken buggy driving -- I kid you NOT! check out the police log in our local papers sometime!).

Anyway ...

That would be our Bushie, if he were allowed to get near a horse!

[gauguin57]

12. Not to mention that Bush has a hell of a time keeping Rick Santorum

away from the horses! They see Rick coming, and they freak out and scatter!

[eridani]

22. Speaking of Amish--

--I've heard tell that the cool young studs wear polished black shoes with stacked heels, and have buggies with a whole bank of batteries to run boomboxes. True?

[kskiska]

16. Reagan rode, but with an English saddle

If you check out pictures of Ron and Nancy, you'll see that Nancy uses a Western saddle, though.

[nostalgicaboutmyfutr]

17. i have been searching to no avail....

a picture of georgie with a horse...

[kskiska]

21. I believe this is the only one in existence

[Hepburn]

23. Try a Google image search...

...for Bush and horse and there is NOT one picture of Cowboy Georgie even near a horse. So what cowboy is never seen on a horse? A phony one like GWB.

[progdonkey]

24. especially considering the importance Rove puts on image

You'd think the very first picture they'd ever have taken of Bush on his "ranch" would have been one of him on a horse. It's such a glaring omission that the only logical conclusion is that Bush is terrified of horses. (Maybe he's terrified of donkeys, too? :))

[Hepburn]

25. Well, he should be afraid of donkeys...

...because there is a donkey that is going to kick his elephant ass on November 2nd!!

[Andromeda]

26. LMAF!!!

That's a good one. :)

[VOX]

27. Yes!!!!

Good one, Hepburn! :yourock:

[bklyncowgirl]

31. Bush a control freak--horses are unpredictable

For people who love riding the thrill of sitting on a large powerful animal and communicating with it to the extent that it will obey the slightest shift of weight, an increase of pressure from your leg or a whispered command is a blast.

Riding well, takes a combination of firmness, consistency and tact. The horse has to accept the rider as its leader. The best riders have the ability to communicate with a horse in a way that the horse becomes a willing participant in whatever activity the rider is up to.

Most people can learn to ride enough to look good for the cameras, my barn once supplied a horse for a well known actor (who starred as a rancher on TV) to ride in a parade. This old hack horse utterly humiliated the actor who had always looked great on TV.

From what I've seen of George W. Bush he's a bully at heart. He also does not deal very well with the unexpected. My guess is that his encounters with horses have been unpleasant. I can't imagine any other reason why he would pass up those wonderful photo ops.