The gee gee no-nos
AMERICA’S ODD HORSE LAWS
★ THEY say the law’s an ass… but maybe it’s a horse. Millions of Brits will be having a cheeky punt on the gee gees this afternoon, as the Grand National sees the top steeds vie for victory.
Whatever you do, don’t ride a nag after a few too many bevvies. It’s sensibly against the law in the UK. Yet over in the US, those wacky Yanks have some more bizarre equine-based statutes.
★ Here JAMES MOORE reveals how not to stirrup trouble on the other side of the Pond…
Why the long face? In the town of Wilbur in Washington state, it’s illegal to ride an “ugly” horse down the street, with a fine of $300.
Sneezy ride: Got a cold? Be careful to blow your nose only indoors in South Dakota, where the law is designed to make sure horses don’t get frightened by loud noises.
Mane-ia: It’s the horses that need to watch their habits in Pocataligo, Georgia, where it’s strictly forbidden for the animals to neigh after 10pm at night.
Cone barmy: Freeze it! There’s an edict against eating ice cream while on a horse in Cotton Valley, Louisiana.
Rein it in: Look around for horses in New York if it’s raining, before you decide to open your umbrella. Doing so in their presence is against local restrictions.
They bridle at this: Don’t let your horse eat the fire hydrants in Marshalltown, Iowa.
Bit bananas: A freaky fruitbased decree in Waco, Texas, means you must never toss a used banana peel into the road, in case a horse steps on the thing and slips.
Hoof knew? Do not tickle a woman under the chin with a feather duster while she is
riding a hose in
Marion, South Carolina – or expect to be in trouble with the authorities.
Corpse not: Someone thought it important to specifically make a law against letting horses loose in the burial grounds of Vermont.
Caught out: It’s illegal to fish from horseback in Washington DC, Utah and Colorado while lassoing a fish in Tennessee is definitely out.
Just barking: It’s illegal to tie a horse to a tree alongside a public highway in New Orleans.
Snap to it: Watch out when taking photos of horses on a Sunday in McAllen, Texas, where the practice could land you in jail for three days.
Nappy days: Until 1975, officials in the town of Charleston, South Carolina, said horses should wear diapers in public.
Linger-neigh: Ladies should be sure to dress correctly on their four-legged beast in Omega, New Mexico, where an old law states that every woman on a horse must “be found to be wearing a corset”.
Saddle sore: In Raton, New Mexico, a directive bans women from donning a kimono, the traditional Japanese garment, while riding.
Horse walks into a bar... Surprisingly, it is legal to take your horse into a tavern in Burns, Oregon, just as long as you’ve paid for its admission.