Question of the Day - 06 July 2023

For Las Vegas proper, the answer may surprise you.

City of Las Vegas Public Information Officer Margaret Kurtz tells us, “The city of Las Vegas has no restrictions on riding horses around city streets. However, permits are required if it is a parade or parade-like activity. If the horses are involved in a business (i.e., tours or 'rides,' for which there is a fee, or horse rentals), a business license (which could have restrictions) is required.”

She adds that there are restrictions on horse and other animal-drawn carriages and vehicles. Also, you may not hitch your pony to trees or shrubs on public property (or, we would imagine, private property that you don't own, at least not without permission). 

If you’d like to ride your steed or mare without hassle, take them to Bradley Bridle Park. The city is in the process of building a second equestrian area at Arroyo Vista Park, near Harris and Marion streets.

“That park,” says Communications Director David Riggleman, “will have an equestrian trail along the wash area. Also, our trails in the northwest area of the city are equestrian friendly.”

As for stabling your horse, you can do that on your own Las Vegas property, provided that you observe how far away a stable must be from a dwelling on an adjacent residential lot. The municipal codes also cover what zoning districts allow the keeping of animals, including horses, as an element of the land-use “animal keeping and husbandry,” and what the rules are for doing so. They also pertain to what zoning districts allow commercial stables and what the associated rules are. Just put “stable,” “stables,” or “horses” in the search box.

Clark County has 35 miles of equestrian trails and isn’t persnickety about letting equestrians onto the roads, particularly out near Red Rock Conservation Area. The official lingo is: “Every person riding an animal or driving any animal-drawn vehicle upon a highway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, except those provisions which by their nature can have no application.” If you need to stable your mount in Clark County, there are two facilities: Logandale Horse Stalls and Horseman’s Park.

Now, we’ve never seen horses on Fremont Street or the Strip, just moseying along. But it’s Las Vegas: Never say “never” and expect it to be definitive.