Mitt Romney: Dressage 'Is Actually Ann's Passion, Not So Much Mine'

In an interview with Fox News , Mitt Romney was asked to respond to the news that his wife's horse would be competing in the Olympics dressage competition , as well as the notion that the sport itself was elitist.

"It is actually Ann's passion, not so much mine, to tell you the truth," Romney replied, with laughter. "When I get the chance to ride a horse, it is Western and it is on the trail. But Ann is very much devoted to the sport and she loves it and it's of course been an extraordinarily powerful healing element in her life. So what works for her is not something I'm going to get in the middle of."

The benefits that horse riding has provided to Ann Romney's medical well-being are well documented, and it certainly is eminently reasonable to note that in a response to the question. But it's not clear how Romney himself dispels the elitist idea by clarifying that he only rides Western -- a delineation that will, in all likelihood, be lost on the public.

While the Romneys' horses might not be staying in the White House if he wins in November, take a look back at some other presidential pets: