A man who says he’s trying to protect Milton’s reputation as an equestrian-friendly community is working on a city ordinance that essentially would create quiet zones around people’s horse pastures.
Tim Enloe, known around town as the local blogger, cites incidents in which people allegedly set off fireworks, revved motorcycles and otherwise made a racket around "Liberty," his mother's 29-year-old mix Arabian. Like others of its kind, the animal is made skittish by loud noises.
"There's really no ordinance on the books to protect … horses against such abuses," Enloe told Channel 2 Action News.
Someone also has shot paint balls at Liberty.
"The horse had residue all up on her eyes and down her neck where the welts were,” Enloe said.
In a follow-up phone interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Enloe said his family has complained to authorities of the North Fulton city, to no avail.
Meanwhile, due to the harassment, “our horse won’t graze without company. And we have to purchase extra grain and hay because she will only graze close to our house,” he said.
“My 74-year-old mother shouldn’t have to ride a mower out to a pasture like she’s walking a dog to get her horse to graze.”
Enloe said he’s working to draft an ordinance that he’d call “Liberty’s Law.” He hopes to have it introduced in the Milton City Council before the end of the month.
“We’re thinking honestly of having ‘Horse Zones’ – if you have property near horses, please, no shotguns, please, no loud noise except at certain times of year, New Year’s Eve and July 4th,” Enloe said. “I wish to goodness this wasn’t even needed … but I believe we need to have laws in place to protect this type of lifestyle.”
Consequences for ordinance violators could start with warnings and end in fines. Enloe said he did not know what fines would be appropriate, as he is still researching the matter and trying to contact horse-ownership organizations for guidance.
Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood told Channel 2 that he’d be happy to discuss the proposed ordinance with Enloe.
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