BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Levi Lowery sat on the wall that surrounds the fountain area in front of the Baldwin County Courthouse Monday, quietly working and seemingly oblivious to the gawking looks and exclamations of surprise and amusement from passersby.

It was not Lowery attracting the attention, but his ride tethered to a nearby tree. Lowery, who suffers from a medical condition that prohibits him from driving a car, instead uses his horse, Dunky, to get where he needs to go.

“I ride because I love it. But because of a medical condition I can't hold a license, so this is my transportation,” he said. “I try to stay off the main roads and out of the way, but I had business up here today.”

Accompanying the Pine Grove resident and his steed is a small black lab, Lady. Lowery said the dog goes everywhere Dunky does.

“She's never more than a few feet away,” he said.

Occasionally, passersby would take out their cell phones and snap pictures, as Lowery obligingly posed with his two companions.

While rising gas problems worry most residents, Lowery said he doesn’t even notice them.

“My better half will ask me how much it is somewhere and I tell her I didn’t see it,” he said, smiling.

Lowery said he rides Dunky year-round, despite the temperature.

“Any day is a good day to ride, some are just colder than others,” he said.