Kentucky Man Gets DUI for Drunk Horse-Riding

Riding enthusiasts counting on their favorite steed to get them home from the bar might be in for a rude surprise, at least in Kentucky.

Danny Reynolds, 55, was arrested recently for DUI because he blew double the legal limit– while riding a horse.

Reynolds says he took his 8-year-old horse Stormy out for a ride with some friends and pulled back a couple beers along the way. However, he stopped to take a break, which proved to be his downfall.

The diabetic told a local TV station, “I was eating crackers to get my sugar level back down when the law pulled up and asked me to get off my horse.”

Stephen Isaacs

Officers said they saw him stagger, and promptly took him into custody. Unfortunately for Reynolds, a search of his belongings turned up weed and moonshine, which will not help his case in court.

But really? Drunk riding is a crime? “Essentially, Kentucky law (KRS 189.520) prohibits the operation of a non-motorized vehicle (a vehicle that is not a motor vehicle) while under the influence of intoxicants or substance which may impair a person’s driving ability,” according to a blog post by Stephan J. Issacs, a DUI attorney in Kentucky. “While this law appears strange on its face, it is enforced by Kentucky Officers,” Issacs writes. “It would appear to apply to impaired individuals under the influence of alcohol or intoxicants and who are riding horses, bicycles, skateboards, etc.”

If convicted, Reynolds could face up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine, loss of driver’s license, 30 days community service and a 90-day alcohol treatment program.