Recently, two men were arrested for riding a horse and a mule down a busy street in Austin. Although they were initially charged with driving while intoxicated, the charges were later reduced to public intoxication. Was this the right call?
When debating whether a drunken horse rider should be charged with a DWI, it is important to consider the potential risks as well as the circumstances. If the rider is using a busy public road, it’s easy to see how harm could be caused: The rider issues a command to the horse, causing both the horse and the rider to swerve into traffic, subsequently creating an accident.
Of course, anyone with knowledge of horses will tell you that you can’t simply force a horse to endanger its own life. Regardless of the state of the rider, the horse will do whatever it can to keep itself and its rider out of harm’s way.
So which is better, an intoxicated person getting behind the wheel of a car or saddling up a horse? A horse seems to be a better option than some other alternatives, such as a bicycle, since any type of riding “device” requires direct input from the driver.
Regardless of whether someone is charged with DWI for driving a car, riding a horse, a bicycle, a wheelchair or a unicorn, people charged with DWI in North Carolina can count on experienced defense attorneys to protect their rights in the criminal justice system.
Source: The Week, “Does drunk horse-riding merit a DUI?,” 1/18/2011
