When the legendary black Chicago cowboy, Murdock "The Man with No First Name", rides one of his horses through Chicago's Hyde Park and along the South Shore segment of the lakefront path, he often finds himself explaining the rules of the road to questioning police officers.
"It's perfectly legal to ride a horse in Chicago," said Murdock, who was himself a cop before founding one of the city's last remaining private equestrian clubs, the Broken Arrow Horseback Riding Club, "so long as you obey the traffic rules."
Until the early 20th Century, it was a common sight to see horses prancing along Chicago's streets. The steady sounds of clip-clopping hooves gave rhythm to the day, as horse-drawn carts and carriages transported people and goods across the city.