United States’ 18th President Ulysses Grant was not as prolific a pet owner as some Presidents who would later take office, but he did have a few pets and he was really passionate about horses. He had several notable steeds during his lifetime, such as the famous Cincinnati, but he also kept other, less-famous horses. Two of these were the Shetland ponies Reb and Billy Button.
The two ponies belonged primarily to Grant’s son Jesse, although they happily pulled Jesse, his brother Ulysses Jr. (Buck) and his sister Nellie to school and around town in their yellow wicker carriage.
When not harnessed, the two ponies spent their time in the White House stables with their much larger equine siblings. They are not mentioned much in history, likely overshadowed by their bigger counterparts. However, as much as Grant loved horses, it is likely that the pair were well cared for by the Grants for the entirety of their lives.