Starbucks Wouldn't Let This Teen Ride Her Horse Through the Drive-Thru

There's a reason it's called a drive-thru and not a trot-thru. Over the weekend, an Arizona teen reportedly tried to score some Starbucks while riding horseback, but the coffee chain wasn't having it.

According to local station ABC 15, Aspen Cline was hanging out with a friend on her birthday when she was struck by a sudden coffee craving. (We've all been there.) Because she said she'd seen other people successfully ride their horses up to her local Starbucks store's drive-thru window and gallop happily away with caffeinated beverage in hand, Aspen decided to give it a shot. But when she pulled up at the window astride her horse Scout, the barista turned the dynamic duo away.

"We weren't given a reason, just, 'we can't take your order,'" Aspen told ABC 15. "My friend and I were going to get Frappuccinos for us and a cup of whipped cream for the horses."

Later, a spokesperson for Starbucks told the outlet that, officially, drive-thru lanes are only for cars, and that this policy is in place to keep animals, customers, and employees safe. Still, the rep added that the barista had turned Aspen and Scout away mostly out of surprise at seeing a noble steed at the window. ABC 15 reports that Starbucks promised that next time, they would try to accommodate "all creatures" with a little advance notice from local equestrians.

Aspen's mom, Tandy Cline, seemed to appreciate this gesture, since she told the outlet she'd be reaching out to the 'bucks to see if she could arrange a better experience for Aspen and Scout. "We support Starbucks because they're very accepting," Tandy said. "So we were kind of disappointed we got thrown to the side from such a great company."