Mary and horses

[Eva Elisabeth]

Due to a question on another thread I re-read what Elizabeth Keckley in "Behind the Scenes" (pp. 179-182) writes about the Lincolns and their goats. This passage struck me this time:
"Well, come here and look at my two goats. I believe they are the kindest and best goats in the world...See, Madam Elizabeth,' exclaimed the President in a tone of enthusiasm, 'my pets recognize me. How earnestly they look! They go again; what jolly fun!' and he laughed outright as the goats bounded swiftly to the other side of the yard. Just then Mrs. Lincoln called out, 'Come, Lizabeth; if I get ready to go down this evening I must finish dressing myself, or you must stop staring at those silly goats.'
Mrs. Lincoln was not fond of pets, and she could not understand how Mr. Lincoln could take so much delight in his goats..."

I wonder if E. K. was not perhaps treating Mary unjustly? I can't find it right now, but I seem to recall that Julia Taft in her book claimed that Mary loved pets and children (can someone confirm?). And didn't she love horses? And what about Fido?

Well, there's also the story about not to feed Tabby with the golden fork, but I think we once anyway discussed that might have been apocryphal. http://rogerjnorton.com/LincolnDiscussio...y#pid23940

What do you think - was Mary fond of pets or not? Or only of certain pets? Do you recall/know of other accounts about Mary and her attidude towards pets?