# Public Hitching Posts



## JoelSanderson (Oct 3, 2015)

Any area with significant horse drawn traffic should have public hitching posts. As the Amish settlements continue to spread, and perhaps as automobiles become less desirable due to environmental awareness (in my dreams!) communities must accept the horse and its needs. In my community, in southern Michigan, there is even a degree of animosity between the two cultures, and that includes a resistance to accommodate the horse drawn vehicles by both the businesses and the towns who could benefit from their presence. 

This became frighteningly clear to me a year ago when my daughter and I drove my horse into town. I tied my horse to a pole immediately behind a business, and when we came out, he was gone! His lead was still tied to the pole, but there was no horse. It was a panicky situation, to say the least. Two people told me that someone had released him, but nobody gave any names. With the help of the hardware's owner and a sherif's deputy, I found my horse quietly waiting for me in a woods just east of town. He had headed directly home, right down the main road, until someone tried to help by heading him off the road. Thankfully no one was hurt, and my horse was waiting patiently for me to come for him. We drove home together. 

Other peoples' horses have been released too. As I talk among the Amish community, it is not uncommon. Unfortunately, Amish are not very politically active, but I can be, so I got ahold of the town's mayor and very clearly explained the problem. Although there was some resistance at first among the council (citing concerns about the manure--!!) eventually I convinced them to put up hitching posts so that horses may be safely tied in places reserved for them. Because it was partly for my own use, and because it is something I strongly believe in, I offered to make and donate three posts. Here are pictures of them. 

I encourage everyone in the horse community, who lives in an area with horse traffic, to talk to your local leaders and convince them to welcome horses by putting in hitching posts. Loose horses are a danger to everyone.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

Hey, I like that idea. I've often wondered if it would be ok to ride my horse in town. I've looked online for ordinances and can't find any. I've thought about just doing it but don't want to look for trouble either. 
People can be so thoughtless. Not only could your horse have been seriously injured, it could have caused a major wreck with vehicles and people injured as well. 
So, what was the solution about the manure? How is it going with the new hitching posts?


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## JoelSanderson (Oct 3, 2015)

They just put them up in October, so I don't know how they're handling the manure yet. Personally, I don't think it'll be a problem even if the village does nothing; it washes away with the rain. Most horses poop while they're working more than when they're resting anyway. It's annoying to me that all the oil drips, fuel spills, pollution and devastation to wildlife from road kills caused the stinky cars is ignored, while a little wholesome fertilizer is supposedly a problem.

There are two new businesses in town (a bank and a Dollar General) who put in their own hitching posts when they built their businesses. (Actually, they're hitching rails.) Kinda interesting that the new businesses have the foresight to cater to the horse community while the established businesses don't. 

Go ahead and ride your horse. I don't know about Florida's laws, but I suspect horses are still on the books as legal transportation. I'm gonna guess that you should stay on the roads and off the sidewalks though. You might be surprised how many people smile and wave and chat as you go by. That interaction is one of the many things our society has lost because of automobiles. I think there is a good number of people who welcome and appreciate horses for transportation, but unfortunately, as with everything, the troublemakers are the loudest and the most destructive.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

We have a lot of Amish and Mennonites in our area, but we also have them fighting over horse manure....not sure they want to encourage horses to tie up traffic!


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## JoelSanderson (Oct 3, 2015)

Horses ARE traffic, but too many car people don't accept that. 

Part of the benefit of having designated hitching posts is that it puts the horses by themselves. The only people that have to worry about manure at the hitching posts are the horse drivers, and we don't mind it. So obviously, like you suggested, it's just an excuse to keep the horse traffic off the roads. 

Businesses are more than willing to spend $40,000+ on a little parking lot painted neatly with white lines for cars to bring money to their business, but they don't want to do anything to encourage horse vehicles to bring money to their business? Amazing, isn't it? Of course, that's not true of all businesses.


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