Which McGyver out there can tell me the cheapest best way to make a riding lawn mower?

[happyslug]

14. Check your town rules, In the City of Pittsburgh the only restriction is five Cats and/or Dogs.

Those animals can be dogs or cats. The city has NO restrictions on owning horses, or other domestic animals including "Fowl". The city does prohibit "Fowl" from escaping your yard.

No person or residence shall be permitted to own, harbor or maintain more than five dogs or cats or any combination thereof within City limits. This section shall not affect any person or residence whose number of dogs, cats or any combination thereof exceeds the limit of five prior to the effective date of this section and upon elimination of dogs or cats by adoption, death or any permanent removal from that person or residence, owners exceeding the limit of five are not permitted to obtain additional dogs or cats. This section shall not affect kennels and catteries that have been granted a kennel/cattery permit by the City Animal Control Department nor shall it affect kennels registered with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

http://ecode360.com/13708554

The City does state "No person shall ride or drive any animal drawn conveyance on any street or sidewalk within the City.." but does NOT address the issue of ownership. In fact I can make the claim that law does NOT prohibit riding a horse or donkey for it clearly states "No person shall ride or drive any animal drawn conveyance..." i.e no wagons, but nothing about riding an actual horse.

This is typical of most laws, they prohibit such animals on the streets BUT not in your yard. To be safe I would get a letter from your Municipal Solicitor that the donkey is legal before I buy one (or get an attorney to write something up that such horse ownership is legal).

Law on Riding an animal powered conveyance:

No person shall ride or drive any animal drawn conveyance on any street or sidewalk within the City, except such as the Superintendent of Police may permit in a parade or other special event, or except that the Director of the Department of Public Works may authorize horse drawn carriages on designated streets in the Central Business District at designated times.

http://ecode360.com/search/PI0000?query=Horse&guids=13706789

Laws on Dogs and cats:

http://ecode360.com/13706789

Law on Fowl:

No person being the owner or in charge of any chickens, geese, ducks, turkey or other fowl shall permit the same to run at large upon any public place, unenclosed lands or the premises of another.

http://ecode360.com/13708681

The City does prohibit hitching your horse to a "Tree or Plant":

Hitching of animals. No person in a park shall tie or hitch a horse or other animal to any tree or plant.

http://ecode360.com/13704101#13704101

or any animal to a "Tree or Plant":

No person shall permit any animal owned by him or under his or her control to damage or destroy any tree or shrub on public property, nor shall any person fasten any animal to any tree or shrub.

http://ecode360.com/13704297#13704297

The City does PROHIBIT non domestic caines and felines:

No person or residence shall be permitted to own, harbor or maintain a nondomestic canine, a nondomestic feline or hybrid within the City limits. This section shall not affect any animal owned by a person living within the City limits prior to the effective date of this section. This section shall not apply to any educational, institutional, zoological garden or circus.

http://ecode360.com/13708542

http://pittsburghpa.gov/animalcontrol/owners.htm