U.S. President Barack Obama shook hands with a man wearing a horse mask, because the Internet is real.
Obama reacts as he is greeted by a man wearing a horse-head as he walked the streets of downtown Denver. pic.twitter.com/QNqnXKzwzm
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 9, 2014
U.S. politics, 2014 pic.twitter.com/yZ8fDVVxXW
— Cooper Fleishman (@_Cooper) July 9, 2014
A short, weird history of the horse mask meme. https://t.co/prEmFTCemn pic.twitter.com/IuD2ZAtTg7
— Caitlin Dewey (@caitlindewey) July 9, 2014
It was the talk of the Internet Wednesday. News publications from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles covered the event, marking it as one that “just [needs] to be shared with the masses.”
As it turns out, Obama is far from the first president to have an equestrian affinity.
The tradition of presidential horse photos stretches back more than 200 years to none other than George Washington.
Photo via the National Archives
Honest Abe loved horses so much, this statue happened.
Photo via the Library of Congress
Teddy Roosevelt, before he was president, led a mounted army unit known as the “Rough Riders” into battle.
Photo via America’s Library
JFK liked his horses like he liked his names—abbreviated.
Photo via the National Archives
Ronald Reagan loved horses and loved the camera, and the camera loved him. The horses may or may not have loved him.
Photo via the National Archives
Bill Clinton was taking great dating-site profile pictures before dating sites even existed.
Photo via the National Archives and Records Administration
George W. Bush put his love for horses on stage every opportunity he got.
Photo via the National Archives
And let’s not forget Russian President Vladimir Putin.
It’s not just conservative commentators who love a shirtless Vladimir Putin. Everyone does! https://t.co/nUV3UHRMSA pic.twitter.com/4TpFlC9Ijo
— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) May 12, 2014
So there you have it. Presidents have always posed with horses. And Obama, true to his embrace of digital culture, updated this tradition for the Internet age.
Photo via Imgur
