The death of a horse on a city sidewalk in Downtown Atlanta has raised concerns about the safety and legality of riding horses on busy city streets. The horse collapsed and died at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Peachtree Street, and its body remained on the sidewalk for over 12 hours before being removed. The horse’s owner had purchased it from an auction known to sell older or sick horses, and the exact cause of death is unknown.
There are currently no Fulton County ordinances regulating the practice of riding horses through downtown streets, with the only relevant city ordinance prohibiting leaving a horse unattended on any street. The incident has sparked discussions about whether new safety regulations should be implemented to prevent similar situations in the future. A horse was also found tied to a fence outside a CVS pharmacy in Buckhead just last week, raising further concerns about the practice of riding horses in busy urban areas.
The Animal Protection Society has stated that it is dangerous for horses to be ridden in the busy streets of downtown Atlanta, posing a risk to both the animals and drivers who may not anticipate encountering a horse on the road. The organization believes that only trained law enforcement officers should be allowed to ride horses in downtown Atlanta for law enforcement purposes. The incident has prompted questions about whether the city should consider new rules to address the issue.
