Can you get a DUI while riding a horse in KY? The law’s not horsing around
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kentucky law permits DUI charges for riding horses while intoxicated.
- KRS 189.520 applies DUI statutes to non-motor vehicles, including horses.
- Penalties could include $20–$100 fines and potential mandatory treatment programs.
Drunk driving continues to be a serious public safety issue in Kentucky, with more than 20% of traffic fatalities in 2023 attributable to intoxicated drivers, according to data compiled by Kentucky State Police.
Driving under the influence comes with stiff penalties in Kentucky, including fines, jail time, suspended driving privileges and mandatory treatment programs.
While we typically think of these offenses involving drivers in motor vehicles, it would be a mistake to assume Kentucky’s DUI laws don’t apply simply because the vehicle you’re using doesn’t have a motor. A drunk driver doesn’t necessarily have to be behind the wheel of a car or truck to endanger others on the road, after all.
Here’s what Kentucky law has to say about the topic, including whether you can face some of the same DUI penalties for horseback riding while intoxicated.
Can you get a DUI while riding a horse in Kentucky?
Yes, you can, and there are at least a few recent cases to point to.
In 2019, for example, a Smiths Grove man was charged with a DUI while driving a horse-drawn carriage. A local police officer wrote in the citation the man sideswiped a vehicle, and showed signs of intoxication when he responded to the collision. Because the man’s wife and several of his children were riding along, the incident led to multiple felony charges at the time, as reported by WNKY.
In another 2012 case, police charged a Jessamine County man with a DUI after they found his blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit in Kentucky while riding a horse.
As explained by Larry Forman, a lawyer and CEO of the Louisville-based Forman & Associates, when it comes to Kentucky’s DUI law, it does not matter whether the vehicle involved is motorized or not.
“Regardless of what you might be operating, if you are under the influence, the law is going to get you,” Forman told the Herald-Leader in a July 22 interview.
DUI defense is one of the main areas of focus for Forman’s law firm, which serves all of Kentucky, according to its website.
Forman pointed to Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 189.520 as one of the most relevant state statutes on the topic. It establishes, “No person under the influence of intoxicating beverages or any substance which may impair one’s driving ability shall operate a vehicle that is not a motor vehicle anywhere in this state.”
Under the definitions laid out in KRS 189.010, horses are not considered motor vehicles because they are vehicles “propelled by muscular power,” Forman confirmed.
What are the penalties for DUI involving non-motor vehicles in KY?
As explained by Forman, the penalty is outlined in KRS 189.990, which covers penalties for many different types of moving violations in Kentucky. Per that statute, the penalty is a fine between $20 to $100 for each offense.
According to Forman, courts may also require individuals to attend and complete an alcohol treatment program.
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This story was originally published July 23, 2025 at 11:09 AM.