Letters: Ann Romney’s dressage passion

Re “On a trail of her own,� May 22

I am neither pro-Romney nor pro-Obama, but as an equestrian, I was dismayed at your article about Ann Romney and her dressage horses.

Buying and keeping horses can be as expensive as having a yacht, but it doesn’t have to be. Many equestrians are everyday working folks making huge financial sacrifices to enjoy their hobby.

Wealthy or not, those who enjoy horses or boats are putting money into the economy. To paraphrase money guru Suze Orman, if you can afford to spend the money, spend it and keep the wheels of commerce turning.

Serious equestrian competition is expensive, but not every horse costs a house payment a month to keep. It’s not cheap, but somehow thousands of regular working people manage to keep and enjoy horses.

Lisa Dyson

Burbank

Ann Romney regularly ferries at least one of her horses between Moorpark and Boston? And she shipped a newly purchased horse from Germany to Boston, where its container tipped on the runway, causing a serious injury to the animal?

Though I’m saddened and dismayed to hear that she subjects horses to lengthy, dangerous trips for her riding enjoyment, I’m not surprised. She and her husband, after all, put their dog on the roof of the family car. The Romneys’ attitude toward animals is frightening.

Rory Freedman

Los Angeles

Your story on Ann Romney’s involvement in dressage seems to be trying to make something out of nothing. Let’s see: A woman with a progressive illness chooses to follow her passion for a sport that also gives her therapeutic benefits. The newsworthy part of this is that it’s expensive?

Perhaps you should give her a pass on this, or at the very least a half-pass.

James Harless

Costa Mesa

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