Can You Legally Ride a Horse Through The Streets of Amarillo

As a kid I'll never forget waiting in the drive-through at the Dairy Queen on Washington, looking out my windows and seeing four cowboys on top of horses getting pulled into the Dairy Queen parking lot and parking their horses while they went inside. It was an amazing sight as a child, I mean you can't get more Texan than riding your horse to DQ, can you?

Looking back on this memory it got me wondering "Can you legally ride a horse through the streets of Amarillo, Texas"? So I decided to look into it and find out, and it turns out that the answer is not too complicated.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, Horses would be considered non-motorized vehicles.

So assuming you've got a real, full-sized horse you can actually ride your horse on any public road in Texas. But just because you can, doesn't mean you should consider the fact that your horse's hooves might get stuck in a pothole that'll send you flying. And don't even get me started on the traffic. It's bad enough in a car, imagine navigating through traffic on a horse.

So let's say you're determined to ride your horse through Amarillo. First, you of course cannot bring your horse onto the high key, meaning that you are restricted to Amarillo's main streets. You'll need to follow the same traffic laws as any other vehicle on the road. That means stopping at stop signs and red lights, using turn signals, and yielding to pedestrians.

But wait, there's more! You also need to make sure your horse is wearing reflective gear if you're riding at night. And if you're planning to tie up your horse and go inside anywhere you'll need to bring a bag to clean up any manure left behind. You don't want to be that guy.

So in conclusion, yes, you can legally ride a horse through the streets of Amarillo, Texas although it's not exactly practical or advisable. Maybe stick to riding your horse in a pasture or on a trail. Or just get a bike like everyone else.