Is it legal to ride a horse on Detroit streets?

**carlscomputers** · October-19-10, 11:49 AM

With all the talk about the Mayor wanting to revert vast tracts of land back to farmland, I was wondering if horse transportation, riding, buggy, cart, etc., was actually outlawed in Detroit? or was it simply impractical after the Automobile took over as the preferred mode of transportation?

LodgeDodger · October-19-10, 11:50 AM

Yes, it's perfectly legal.

**Hermod** · October-19-10, 11:52 AM

Late 1940's, Sealtest still used horse drawn carts for their milk delivery trucks in Detroit. I don't know if council has added an anti-horse ordinance since then.

**carlscomputers** · October-19-10, 12:03 PM

Hmmmm, How does "Carl's Horse Emporium" sound? Talk about "green", why buy a Hybrid when you can buy a horse!? Ha! Ha! Ha!

LodgeDodger · October-19-10, 12:05 PM

I think the more important question is would you want to ride a horse on the streets of Detroit? The way people around here drive...

**Detroitnerd** · October-19-10, 12:07 PM

Of course, there's no sanitary engineers out there, so you'll need to scoop your own "waste." :P

**DetroitPlanner** · October-19-10, 12:16 PM

Looks like the police are the only breakers of this law.

**Hermod** · October-19-10, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

Of course, there's no sanitary engineers out there, so you'll need to scoop your own "waste." :P

Sealtest just left it on the pavement for the flies.

Eventually we would get a rain that would wash away the "road apples".

Back in the day, we weren't so uptight about such things.

**Homer** · October-19-10, 12:28 PM

Mmm? Why hasn't Gnome addressed riding unicorns yet?

**Detroitnerd** · October-19-10, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by Hermod

Sealtest just left it on the pavement for the flies.

Eventually we would get a rain that would wash away the "road apples".

Back in the day, we weren't so uptight about such things.

I've heard worse. I've heard in the old days people would leave whole dead horses on the streets ...

**gnome** · October-19-10, 12:44 PM

Hey! what 's this all about? Calling me out for my Unicorn Park? jeeze I was goin to give you and Marge free rides, but forget that. Full Price only. And don't go whipping your AARP card out begging to get hooked up.

No way.

lilpup · October-19-10, 01:25 PM

How you gonna lock up the horse when you park?

**softailrider** · October-19-10, 01:56 PM

Originally Posted by lilpup

How you gonna lock up the horse when you park?

Over on Beaubian, East of Woodward is the old Mounted Police building. Maybe he could just stick the horse in there for a while.

LodgeDodger · October-19-10, 02:14 PM

In areas with large Amish populations, parking lots have hitching posts and "buggy" parking.

lilpup · October-19-10, 02:34 PM

Amish country doesn't have the same theft issues Detroit does tho' they do have DWIs once in a while.

**gnome** · October-19-10, 02:46 PM

true, but breaking their windows is tougher. Hot wiring is a bitch too.

oh, yeah, cars don't bite.

**Detroitnerd** · October-19-10, 02:48 PM

They'd just kill the horse trying to punch the ignition with a screwdriver.

**Russix** · October-19-10, 04:08 PM

Originally Posted by lilpup

How you gonna lock up the horse when you park?

No need too, just open carry your Springfield carbine.

**Downriviera** · October-19-10, 04:26 PM

Can the horses be booted for non-payment of parking tickets?

**Gannon** · October-19-10, 04:42 PM

I do believe this is wholly supported by existing law...if I remember correctly, Jams knows that the statute demanding a hitching post with water for up to four horses is required for any public drinking house establishment.

Imagine if that could be adapted to include self-propelled human devices, like bicycles!

**pgn421** · October-19-10, 05:27 PM

A few years back,my neighbors had a horse. They were in a parade here. They kept it in their back yard.
Someone called the police,they explained why the horse was there. Got a ticket

**wolverine** · October-19-10, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Looks like the police are the only breakers of this law.

They are an exemption. Same with guide animals for people with disabilities.

At least, the way it's enforced here in Chicago. Carriage companies can get fined. But the police have a crew that cleans up after the horses, sometimes followed by a power washing for extra measure.

lilpup · October-19-10, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by Gannon

Imagine if that could be adapted to include self-propelled human devices, like bicycles!

Ann Arbor has a bike rack requirement for some commercial spaces

DC48080 · October-19-10, 06:19 PM

The big problem has to do with theft. Imagine coming out to where you parked your horse and finding it standing up on cinder blocks, it's shoes having been stolen by scrappers.

And just what blacksmith shop would I have to go to to buy some 24" spinner horseshoes?

DC48080 · October-19-10, 06:27 PM

And how long would it take before an epidemic of "horsejackings" started to take place? I can see it now: you're on your horse, stopped at a red light and some thugs gallop up behind you on an old raggedy horse, bump your horse in the rear and then run up on you with guns drawn and demand that you give up your horse.

Can I get OnStar adapted to a horse?