Colorado man reined in for drunken horseback riding

A Colorado man riding a horse to his brother’s wedding 600 miles away in Utah was arrested for drunken driving, animal cruelty and other charges after witnesses reported him blocking traffic and hitting his horse, police said on Tuesday. Patrick Schumacher, 45, was taken into custody in Boulder on Monday afternoon by University of Colorado police after officers found him visibly intoxicated, police spokesman Ryan Huff said. Huff said Schumacher was cooperative but failed a field sobriety test and a search of his saddle bag turned up a small pistol and several beer cans. A small pug dog named Bufford was found in his backpack. "This is pretty unusual," Huff said. "It’s probably the first time in department history that we have pulled someone over for driving under the influence while on a horse."