VATICAN CITY — Who needs a popemobile when you have a new four-legged ride that whinnies?

Pope Leo XIV was given a 12-year-old white purebred Arabian horse, “Proton”, on Wednesday, a present from a Polish breeder.

The gift, whose appearance elicited a wide smile of joy from the new U.S. pope ahead of his general audience, was given by Andrzej Michalski, founder of the Michalski Stud Farm in northwestern Poland.

“The pope was very happy; we led the horse together. He was delighted, and we were overjoyed,” Michalski told Vatican News.

The gift was inspired by a photograph of the pope, formerly known as Robert Prevost, on horseback during his missionary years in Peru, it said.

Michalski intends for the horse to be auctioned, with proceeds going towards aiding the poor.

Proton, who boast

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