Is It Illegal To Ride A Horse Drunk?

A friend of mine was recently telling me about how they had figured out a way to get out to the bars at the weekend without having to take a cab back: he could bring his horse into town, hitch it up and come back for it when he was ready to go home.

It’s not a car, he said, so riding it after a few drinks isn’t illegal.

He seemed to have done his research, but I was a bit skeptical, so I decided to look into it myself.

So, is it illegal to ride a horse drunk?

There is no federal law banning horseback riding while drunk. Many states do have laws prohibiting it that will see you being slapped with a DUI if caught. For the most part, however, these laws are more commonly applied to carriages and buggies rather than the horse itself.

So, while it might not be strictly illegal everywhere, we still wouldn’t recommend it.

It’s still dangerous in a lot of ways for both you and the horse.

Plus, in many states, it is considered a crime and you could even get a DUI.

Let’s look into this question further.

Can you be charged for riding a horse while drunk?

Federally, no.

There is no nationwide, federal level law banning horseback riding while drunk.

That is to say, simply riding on the back of the horse, without a buggy or carriage.

Buggies and carriages can make it a whole other story.

At that point, your horse and carriage become a vehicle, and you would almost certainly receive a DUI if you operated it while drunk.

In many states, like Washington, Colorado, Montana, Louisiana and Texas, there are no specific laws about riding your horse while drunk.

Certainly, to receive a DUI, you need to be operating a motorized vehicle.

Under the current laws of these states and some others, you cannot be charged for riding your horse while drunk.

That said, you shouldn’t assume that you can just get away with the act scot-free.

As I said, it’s still very dangerous whether or not it’s illegal.

There are many states, on the other hand, which do explicitly ban drunken horseback riding.

For the most part, these rules apply to public roads, but some states like North Carolina simply make it an explicit crime to ride your horse drunk.

Some states, such as Kentucky, California, and Florida, make riding your horse while drunk a crime only if you do so on public roads.

Still, you shouldn’t really ride your horse drunk anywhere, but in these states you can do so as long as you are away from public roads.

Can you ride a horse drunk?

If you haven’t tried it and are thinking about doing so, you may be wondering whether or not being drunk actually makes as much of a difference to horse riding as it does to driving a car.

After all, the horse has a mind of its own, and it wont crash.

Most people assume it would be easier to ride a horse while drunk, since it does not have complex controls or gears like a car.

But it will be far from easy, and there’s always the chance that you might spook your horse by your lack of coordination.

If you trust your horse to carry you home with minimal instruction, and that you can keep a hold on it, then maybe you’ll be okay.

Again, we absolutely do not recommend this.

Why is riding a horse drunk dangerous?

There are countless reasons.

One reason people might think horses are safer to ride while drunk than cars is that horses can follow their own instinct if you are riding recklessly.

However, riding your horse while drunk is incredibly dangerous for both you and the horse.

For one thing, drunkenness often occurs at night, and so you have the added danger of darkness.

It’s very easy to cause a horse to trip and fall, and a fall from a horse could be fatal for both of you.

Falling is the biggest danger.

Even if you didn’t harm the horse, falling from that height could easily kill you, and it could happen so easily if you fell asleep or just lost your balance.

Furthermore, you could easily get lost.

Again, with darkness and the lack of coordination while drunk, you could simply direct your horse in the wrong way, and it isn’t going to know where you want to go.

Ultimately, it’s just too dangerous, and never worth it.

So, while it may not be strictly illegal where you live, it’s still pretty common sense to say that you shouldn’t do it.

It’s a big danger for you and the horse in a lot of ways.

Furthermore, it is explicitly and legally prohibited in many places, so it’s best just not to do it.

Often, states without laws against it only do not have these laws because there is no precedent of accidents or injuries caused by drunk horseback riding to make it a problem.

Don’t be the reason your state bans drunk horseback riding!