Horsing around with Obama in Colorado

President Obama’s attempts to do some retail politicking veered into the bizarre Tuesday night, when a man wearing a horse head mask greeted the president as he walked down a Denver street.

New York Times photographer Doug Mills captured the interaction between Obama and the man.

Obama reacts as he is greeted by a man wearing a horse-head as he walked the streets of downtown Denver. pic.twitter.com/QNqnXKzwzm

— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) July 9, 2014

{mosads}Reporters traveling with the president said they couldn’t decipher what message the individual was trying to send with his choice in headgear.

Classic pooling from @ColleenMNelson: “One onlooker wore a large horse head, but it’s unclear what message he hoped to convey” to POTUS

— Mike Memoli (@mikememoli) July 9, 2014

Reporters quickly took to social media to riff on the encounter.

If there’s a god, horse head guy is mitt Romney trolling the universe

— john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) July 9, 2014

By this time tomorrow, horse head Obama handshake guy will have a show on Spike TV.

— daveweigel (@daveweigel) July 9, 2014

How did Secret Service let horse head guy get so close to POTUS? Have they never seen The Godfather?

— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) July 9, 2014

If you’re someone who wore a horse head mask while greeting the President of the United States, @huffingtonpost would like to talk to you

— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) July 9, 2014

The moment POTUS remembered Maureen Dowd’s warning about the Denver cookies pic.twitter.com/T3gTuy1zKM

— michaelscherer (@michaelscherer) July 9, 2014

The horse is loose.

— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) July 9, 2014

The encounter apparently occurred during a brief stroll down Denver’s 15th Street after Obama shared pizza with a group of Colorado residents who had written him letters about their economic struggles.

After mingling with the crowd, Obama headed to the Wynkoop Brewing Company Bar, where he he had a beer and shot pool with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. According to reporters, after a slow start the president ultimately prevailed.

On Wednesday, Obama plans to deliver remarks on the economy at an event in downtown Denver, before heading to a political fundraiser benefiting Democratic Senate candidates.