A MAN caught riding a horse while drunk has been charged with drink driving – a day after a NSW carpenter admitted he had too many shandies when his mount caused a ruckus at a service station.

A 22-year-old man from Mount Isa allegedly recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.146 while riding a horse in the northwest Queensland town about midnight last night.

Police said it was a timely reminder that regardless of a person’s choice of transportation, all road rules still applied.

He will appear in Mount Isa Magistrates Court on October 13.

Meanwhile, Vineyard man Jamie Berryman is in trouble after a big night out with his horse Donkey.

Mr Berryman lost his driver’s licence in January for mid-range drink driving so now he regularly rides Donkey to local pubs and mates’ houses.

On Sunday night, police searched for the 38-year-old carpenter and part-time shearer after Donkey ate two bunches of flowers from a Mobil service station at McGraths Hill.

Police said a short scuffle broke out after Mr Berryman refused to pay for the flowers and the station attendant tried to make a citizens’ arrest.

“Yeah, there were a few too many shandies,” Jamie Berryman admitted to The Daily Telegraph yesterday. “Next time I ride Donkey home the cops’ll put the bag on me for sure.”

Mr Berryman said he had been drinking at the Macquarie Arms Hotel, then at the Royal Exchange Hotel in Windsor before jumping on his horse for the 10km journey home.

“I rode into Windsor for a few beers and a bit of karaoke,” he said.

“On the way home I pulled into the servo to buy a phone card and when I came out old Donkey was chewing on the flowers.”

He said the service station attendant tried to hold him until the police arrived.

“I just thought it was a joke, but the bloke got really angry about it. He tried to grab me and keep me there but I jumped on the horse and off I went,” he said.

Inspector Gary Shoobridge said officers searched for Mr Berryman that night because they believed he might have been drunk.

He said no charges were expected to be laid and police no longer wished to speak to Mr Berryman.

“The horse was satisfied and nobody was hurt – no offence has been committed,” he said.

“But it’s against the law in NSW for people to be in charge of a horse, or to ride a horse while intoxicated, so people should be mindful that they’re not drunk while riding horses.”

Mr Berryman refused to say how many drinks he had before he rode Donkey home about 8pm on Sunday.

Staff at the Mobil service station refused to comment on the incident.

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