Riding with Reagan

This book recounts the true story of secret service agent John Barletta. He was instrumental in protecting president Reagan, especially when the president went riding on horseback. The trouble was that no other secret service agents were very adept at horseback riding. John, on the other hand, was a natural. John did try to institute training for a select band of secret service agents so they could ride horses as well.

The majority of horseback riding happened at Reagan's ranch in California. There was a small 2-bedroom abode there. The president was very hands on. He had constructed a lot of the fencing on the ranch. He was also hands on with his horse. The secret service had to set up all kinds of security on the ranch. It was tough to even drive up the mountain to where the ranch was perched.

John tells stories of how the president used humor. Also, of how he was tight with Margaret Thatcher. Reagan loved jelly bellies. But his wife Nancy tried hard to shut down his access to them. Eventually the president succumbed to Alzheimer's. Nancy and a full-time nurse took care of him in his last years. Eventually John also got old, and the secret service is a young man's employer.