Priscilla Presley Described the Time Elvis Was ‘the Happiest’ She’d Ever Seen Him

Priscilla Presley lived with Elvis Presley for years and became attuned to his emotions. She could sense when he was angry or upset and learned how to tiptoe around him. She also could tell when he was exuberantly joyful. Priscilla shared that the happiest she’d ever seen Elvis was in the period after he gifted her a horse.

Priscilla Presley said Elvis was happiest when they began purchasing horses

In the mid-1960s, Elvis gifted Priscilla a horse after she mentioned having always wanted one. She explained that this kicked off an incredibly happy period in their lives.

“The happiest I ever saw him was when he developed a passion for horses,” Priscilla wrote in her book Elvis and Me. “It all began when I said I wished I had my own horse. I’d loved them since childhood, and Graceland had a beautiful old stable in back, where Vernon [Presley] used to store old furniture.”

Two weeks later, Elvis brought Priscilla outside and showed her the beautiful black horse he’d purchased for her. Priscilla fell in love with the horse and often rode him around the Graceland grounds while Elvis watched. He was slightly intimidated by the animal, but Priscilla eventually convinced him to try riding him.

“He loved it, declaring, ‘I want a horse of my own, a golden palomino.'”

Priscilla shared why she thought Elvis loved horses so much.

“This was the first hobby that involved a living creature,” she wrote. “The horses responded to his love, and it was touching to witness his attachment to them.”

Elvis began purchasing horses for the members of his entourage

Elvis discovered that he loved horses and decided to gift his entourage their own animals. 

“Now we all developed horse fever,” Priscilla wrote. “We rode late afternoons and well into the evenings. But this wasn’t enough for Elvis. As with anything he enjoyed, he wanted everyone else to join the fun. Thus began our quest for horses for the group, including the wives.”

He purchased all the finest gear and everyone began parading the horses around Graceland, much to the delight of the fans gathered outside. 

Priscilla Presley and Elvis bought a ranch to keep their horses

Suddenly, Elvis and Priscilla had a herd of horses living at Graceland, which wasn’t quite big enough for this. While driving through Mississippi, they discovered a 160-acre ranch with a lake and a barn with stalls for horses. Immediately, they knew they had to have it.

“I thought of this ranch as a wonderful way for us to get away from Graceland from time to time,” she wrote. “I pictured us saddling our own horses and riding in the early morning or at dusk.”

They bought the home and transferred their 18 horses and a staff of nine workers to the ranch. They excitedly began spending time here, but they quickly learned it wasn’t as idyllic as they’d imagined. While they enjoyed riding their horses around the expansive ranch, they were constantly under observation by crowds of fans hoping for a glimpse of Elvis.