George Bush the Texan is 'scared of horses'

George Bush the Texan is 'scared of horses'
By Alex Spillius in Washington
Last Updated: 3:55am
Guardian UK

President Bush may like to be seen as a swaggering tough guy with a penchant for manly outdoor pursuits, but in a new book one of his closest allies has said he is afraid of horses.

Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, derided his political friend as a "windshield cowboy" - a cowboy who prefers to drive - and "the cockiest guy I have ever met in my life".

He recalled a meeting in Mexico shortly after both men had been elected when Mr Fox offered Mr Bush a ride on a "big palomino" horse.

Mr Fox, who left office in December, recalled Mr Bush "backing away" from the animal.

''A horse lover can always tell when others don't share our passion," he said, according to the Washington Post.

Mr Bush has spoken of his fondness for shooting doves and cutting brush on his Crawford ranch in Texas, which he bought in 1999.

The property reportedly has no horses and only five cattle.

Mr Fox is the latest old friend to turn on Mr Bush as the US president faces a lonely final 18 months in office, derided for failures in Iraq and at home.

Donald Rumsfeld, his defence secretary until last November, asked recently if he missed the president, said flatly: "No."

Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, has attacked the Bush administration's economic policy at length in a new autobiography, accusing the Republican president of poor fiscal discipline and betraying the party's basic principles of low spending.

Asked for his reaction to criticism from former aides, the president replied: "My feelings are not hurt."