The Law Said What? Crazy Horse Laws & Why They Were Made

If you look through some old laws in the world, you’ll find some that don’t make much sense, some that will make you shake your head, and some that will actually make you laugh out loud. 

Let’s take a peek at a few horse laws that have been made down through the years and try to unpack the ‘why?’ behind them!

(And as far as I know, most of these laws are still in the books!)

No Deals in the Dark

  In Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, you are prohibited from buying, selling, or even trading horses ‘after the sun goes down’ - unless, of course, you’ve gotten permission from the sheriff. And while this one might have been an inconvenience if you needed a horse quickly, it does make sense. Before buying a horse, it is important to see it in the daylight, see it ridden, and ride it yourself. Just like we don’t typically buy something off of Facebook marketplace after dark, this law was probably put in place to avoid scams and passing off unhealthy or stolen horses. So if you had to have or sell a horse in the middle of the night, time to head over to the sheriff’s office, just to make sure that everything was on the up and up. No shady horse deals allowed in Wellsboro y’all!

Not Around the Horses 

In New York City, it is illegal to open or close an umbrella in the presence of a horse. And while that might sound kind of silly at first, I can totally understand where they were coming from on this. Looking through a horse’s eyes, an umbrella is a terrifying thing - the shape, the movement, the sound of rain hitting it. All my horses aren’t scared of much, but an umbrella even makes them nervous. The sudden change in size, from small to large is enough to trigger the fight-or-flight reaction in most horses until they are properly and carefully shown that there is nothing to fear. I understand that the ‘no umbrellas’ or having umbrella restrictions are still standing rules at many racetracks.

Hay and Taxis

In London, England when most travel was still horsedrawn, taxi drivers were required by law to carry a bale of hay on top of their cabs to feed their horses. And gotta say, it sounds like a great idea to me. I mean, when these horses were working hard all day, it would be crucial to make sure they were well-fed. With a hay bale always with them, the cab drivers could easily feed their team of horses during any stops they made. So what is interesting about this law? Well, the fact that it was still in force until 1976!

Ice Cream Cone Danger

In Georgia, it is illegal for someone to carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket. Okay, definitely weird, you might be saying, but what does that have to do with horses? I just discovered that this quirky law was actually part of the state’s effort to prevent theft - particularly of horses! At that time, thieves might try to lure horses away by placing an ice cream cone in their back pocket. Once they had enticed it away from watching eyes, the thieves could slip away with the horse without anyone noticing. They introduced this unusual law to curb this sneaky trick and make it easier to stop the would-be thief. Today, the law stands as a peculiar piece of Georgia’s legal history. How’s that for crazy?

Noises With A Curfew

Lastly, we have a law in Pocataligo, Georgia. And it says horses aren't allowed to be heard neighing after 10 p.m… I don’t know what made the town of Pocataligo decide to write this one. But it’s gotta make you question - whose job was it to enforce this law? And how exactly could you enforce this? Were all the horse owners supposed to sit down with their horses in the barn and say, “Now it’s almost 10:00 pm and you know what that means - gotta be quiet until morning…”

Yeah, I can’t quite figure this one out. Anybody got some ideas?

Looking at these old laws gives us an idea of what daily life might have been like.

And at the same time, we can stop and wonder -

Will I still get in trouble for carrying an ice cream cone in my back pocket in Georgia?