May 18, 2008 11:28 pm US/Pacific
Local Man Using Horsepower To Combat Fuel Prices
FAIR OAKS (CBS13) ―
A Fair Oaks stable owner is turning to horsepower to combat high fuel prices.
Ken Houston, owner of the Shadow Glen Riding Stables, uses diesel vehicles exclusively for his business. With local diesel prices topping $4.50 a gallon, he realized that he could not afford to drive his truck to buy fuel for his tractor, truck, and other equipment.
"The price of fuel goes up every other day," Ken said. "We can't raise our prices every day."
"So, I'm going to hook up my wagon and my team of horses and we're going to buy diesel," he said.
It's about a mile down Main Avenue to the American Minimart in Orangevale, and Ken is planning on towing his 60-gallon diesel tank behind his horses to make a point.
"This way is going to take me a couple of hours, but I don't care," Ken said. "The public's got to make a statement, and this is my statement."
"I'm hoping that somebody will say, 'hey, this guy's got a good idea,'" he added. "'If we can't afford to drive, we might have to go back to horse and buggy.'"
It is legal for Ken to use his horses on the main roads since he has proper safety signals and identification.
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