NEW traffic regulations coming to a city in a major state targets horseback riders – threatening them with fines of $250 in a huge crackdown.
It has left locals mightily frustrated, with enforcement seemingly undermining the area’s cowboy heritage.
4
4
4
4
According to the Fort Worth Report, new regulations in Fort Worth, Texas, are sparking a heated dispute between local horseback riders and authorities in the city’s historic Stockyards district.
Cody Montes, a regular horseback rider in the area who owns Red Barn Ranch in Tarrant County, recently said: “It’s just kind of a bummer.
“You can’t go down there and watch the cattle drive anymore.
“It pisses me off even more because the guys that ride for the cattle drive are sitting on the side of the road letting tourists touch their horses.
“If they can do it, why can’t we?”
Montes added that she and her family were even threatened with a $250 fine per horse by security guards near the RFD-TV building.
Furthermore, Marty Schechter, a spokesperson for Stockyards Heritage Development Co., said the historic district welcomes horseback riding as a part of the area’s identity.
But city ordinances regulate horseback traffic to ensure public safety in high-traffic areas.
Schechter added: “The security teams within the Stockyards are here for the safety of all visitors and do not issue fines of any kind.”
Now, hundreds of residents have joined Montes in her frustration, even launching an online petition called “Stop the Crackdown on Horseback Riders in Fort Worth”.
The group argues the “aggressive enforcement” could damage the city’s cowboy culture.
Currently, over 700 people have signed the online appeal.
Council member Carlos Flores, who represents the area, believes the regulation is important.
He said: “It is not difficult to imagine on any given day or night, the density of pedestrians and vehicles in the Stockyards area.
“City leadership wants our entertainment districts to be safe for all.”
Fort Worth City Ordinance 22-9 requires horses on roadways to follow the same traffic laws as cars and bicycles, such as stopping at stop signs and signaling at intersections.
However, the ordinance doesn’t specifically address sidewalks.
While Texas Transportation Code prohibits motorized vehicles on sidewalks, Fort Worth police have not issued citations for horses standing on sidewalks.
Officers may use discretion and cite riders for “obstruction of a sidewalk” if their horses block pedestrian flow.
“Police officers will exercise appropriate discretion and apply the law to ensure the public’s safety and that of livestock,” Flores said in a statement.
“I ask the horse riding public to use common sense and good judgement while horseback riding in the Stockyards to protect themselves, the public and their horses.”
Montes has since stopped visiting the area on horseback and while she supports public safety efforts, she feels riders in less crowded areas should not be asked to leave.
She’s frustrated by what she perceives as double standards, pointing out that horseback riders participating in the cattle drive are allowed to remain in the area while locals face stricter enforcement.
“If you’re sitting in the alleyway not bothering anyone, you’re out of the congested crowd,” she said.
“Some people that go down to the Stockyards have never seen a horse in their life, so it’s beautiful to see tourists come up and pet them.”
She added: “With time, things change, and we have to evolve.
“I understand it’s become a tourist trap, but there’s got to be some leeway for locals, as well, to be down there and still enjoy it.”
New driving laws in 2025
Drivers across the United States are having to adjust to a slew of new road rules that take effect in 2025. Some of those include:
