Two boys ride in the back of a horse-drawn buggy stopped at a traffic light, Wednesday, May 29, 2019, in Lancaster County, near Gap, Pa.
Jacqueline Larma / The Associated Press
Smart Talk: Proposed law on Amish horses now on hold
Township ordinance recommends horse "diapers" and rubber shoes
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Merideth Bucher
Jacqueline Larma / The Associated Press
Two boys ride in the back of a horse-drawn buggy stopped at a traffic light, Wednesday, May 29, 2019, in Lancaster County, near Gap, Pa.
A proposed ordinance that would apply new rules to the horses used by Amish residents to pull carriages on public roads has been put on hold for the time being in Washington Township, Lycoming County. The ordinance would require Old Order Amish to outfit their horses with a device to collect manure. It would also require the use of rubber horseshoes.
Township supervisors say the ordinance was intended to respond to complaints received about manure on roads (and it’s potential hazard to public health and water quality) and the damage that standard metal horseshoes cause to roadways.
Appearing on Smart Talk on Aug. 7 was Attorney Clifford Rieders, who represents a group Amish Pennsylvanians from Washington Township. The group opposes the ordinance.
Key points:
:25 Attorney Cliff Rieders and why his clients oppose the ordinance
3:20 The roads are not a problem
9:20 People are afraid of “the other”
