California cop arrests man for drunk driving on HORSE after seeing him driving through the streets with an ‘open container’ of liquor
- The unknown drunk cowboy was arrested for drunkenly riding his horse through Merced, 70 miles north of Fresno, California
- Police were criticized for what some saw as a misallocation of police resources following the CHP’s social media post
A man on a horse has been arrested for driving under the influence after California Highway Patrol officers spotted him riding through the streets of a small town with an open container of alcohol.
Officer Kody Brackett spotted the drunken cowboy galloping through Merced, 70 miles north of Fresno, and sprang into action.
a video shared by the CHP, the horse was allowed to walk next to a police vehicle, which police described as “an expression of sincere compassion.”
Officer Kody Brackett spotted a drunken cowboy galloping through Merced, 70 miles north of Fresno, and sprang into action
Brackett posed happily with the horse in photos posted to the CHP’s social media account on September 10.
This incident serves as a startling reminder that state drunk driving laws also apply to riders.
California Vehicle Code 21050 states: “Every person riding or controlling an animal upon a highway shall have all the rights and be subject to all the duties applicable to the operator of a vehicle.”
In the social media post, the CHP praised Officer Brackett’s efforts to keep the roads safe.
“We commend Officer Brackett’s dedication to maintaining safety standards in all situations.” the CHP said.
The horse was seen next to the police vehicle in the video from the CHP, which said escorting the horse back was “a show of sincere compassion.”
Officer Brackett (pictured) stopped the rider who was apparently ‘impaired by alcohol’, arrested him and then happily posed with the brown horse
The CHP emphasized the dangers of impaired riding, “even on a horse.”
Reactions to the post have been divided, with some appreciating Officer Brackett for his work, while others believe it is a misuse of police resources.
‘What a waste of police time, court resources and the detainee’s money. This is completely absurd,” one person wrote.
Another said: ‘What would have happened if there had been a serious accident/incident in the area… that police officer was the only one… who assisted but he can’t because he’s escorting a damn horse home. and there’s a guy in the backseat who might have had a beer.”
Laws regarding drunk driving while horseback riding vary from state to state, with California being one of the states that bans horse riding while intoxicated.
Minnesota, Arizona and Texas do not consider riding a horse under the influence to be a DUI offense.
The arrested rider has not been identified and it is not clear what type of alcohol he was drinking.
DailyMail.com has reached out to CHP for more information and comment on the arrest.