Woman Threatened with Jail Time in Alberta after Riding her Horse Through a Drive-Thru
Shelby Opheim, who runs a rescue farm for horses, rides her horse Charlie everywhere
An Alberta woman has been in trouble with the law after riding her horse, Charlie, down the streets of town in High River, south of Calgary. Opheim, who says she loves horses as her auntie was a barrel racer, explains that riding through town helps Charlie get used to different environments. Riding through a drive-thru, she ordered a coffee for herself and a ‘honey curler doughnut for the horse’.
‘They have pulled me over six times in the last six months,’ she told reporters. ‘The last time was Tuesday. They told me that I was no longer allowed to ride in town. I couldn’t have horses here. I could be arrested and put in jail.’
However, once Craig Snodgrass, the Mayor of High River got involved, it was a different story. It turns out that, as a horse is a form of transportation, Charlie is allowed on the roads.
‘In the town of High River, we’re a small ag-based community,’ Snodgrass commented. ‘Shelby’s more than welcome to ride her horse in through town. You respect the public, you respect the other drivers, you’re doing it safely. But the other thing is that drivers in the vehicles need to be doing the exact same thing.’
That settled the argument, and Shelby says she will continue to ride around town as long as she is allowed to.
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