HICKMAN (AP) – Talk about your one-horse town. This burg of 1,084 residents is just that.

But some folks want an aging horse named Peter Rabbit, who lives in a pasture in town, gone for good.

Other folks say the horse should stay, despite an ordinance that bans livestock inside city limits.

“I feel bad for the poor horse. He’s probably going to die soon anyway,” said Jamie Cox, who manages the town bar, Sadie’s Place. “As long as he’s being taken care of, they should leave him alone.”

Hickman, once a sleepy farm town, has become a bedroom community for the capital city of Lincoln and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Nebraska.

His land was annexed in 2006, but Scott said no one said anything to him at the time about having to give up the horse.

Scott said Peter Rabbit, who is as healthy as a 32-year-old horse can be, is too old to move. Horses have a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years.

“He could drop dead today,” Scott said. “I would prefer to have him remain as stable as he is and be able to enjoy his life. I like to go out and pet him. It’s just a matter of feeding and petting him.”

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On the Net:

City of Hickman: http://www.hickman.ne.gov/

AP-ES-08-14-08 0418EDT