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Jim Sweeny is back in the saddle, sore but wiser, and a lot more wary of riding anywhere near loud, fast-moving all-terrain vehicles.

Sweeny, who's recuperating from injuries he sustained in a recent horse-vs.-ATV incident, said he hopes local law-enforcement agencies will clamp down on people who drive ATVs in washes that thousands of Tucsonans use to ride horses, hike and walk their dogs.

Sweeny's brush with ATVs occurred a couple of months ago as he was enjoying a horseback ride along the Pantano Wash when the idyllic moment was interrupted by two loud all-terrain vehicles.

The ATVs — modified for high performance — were so loud that they spooked Sweeny's horse as they rode along the sandy wash near the Houghton Road bridge.

The 7-year-old buckskin mare backed up abruptly, lost her footing and tripped, Sweeny said.

"She is fine," he said of the horse, "but I suffered three broken ribs and a punctured lung."

"If I sneeze or cough, I can still feel it," Sweeny said recently. "But otherwise I'm riding again."

Luckily, a 5-year-old girl on her first horseback-riding lesson nearby was not tossed, said Gloria St. Pierre, owner of Horse Haven Equestrian Center, where the girl was riding.

But that's only because one of the instructors at the facility at 4885 S. Houghton Road managed to keep control of the horse, said St. Pierre, who filed a police report on March 15, the day after Sweeny's run-in with the ATVs.

Horse-vs.-ATV encounters are common in that part of town, where the Pantano crosses Houghton, she said. That's where Horse Haven and, on the other side of Houghton, Pantano Riding Stables are located.

And it's where a lot of people, including Sweeny, have bought horse property so they can keep their livestock and ride not only in washes but also on the area's network of trails.

Most of the time, horse-ATV encounters don't end in injury. But many of those on horseback have had run-ins with ATVs, so they are very cautious until they see the ATV rider follow the trail protocol: slow down, pull over and, ideally, shut off the engine.

"It's been a problem since we've owned this facility, for four years now," she said. "It still is a problem."

The problem got so bad four years ago that a horseback rider lassoed a motorcyclist who was riding repeatedly around a group of equestrians.

The motorcyclist was yanked off his bike, but suffered only rope burns around his neck — and possibly a bruised ego.

He also was cited for illegally riding in a wash. The equestrian was not charged.

The incident involving Sweeny occurred within city limits, where it's illegal to ride motorized vehicles in washes.

The city's ordinance indirectly prohibits riding in washes; it states that it's illegal to operate a motorized off-road vehicle within a quarter-mile of any residence, said Tucson police Traffic Sgt. David Brotherton.

"That pretty much covers all the washes," Brotherton said.

The Pima County Sheriff's Department also considers operation of any off-road vehicle in washes illegal, said Deputy Dawn Barkman, a department spokeswoman.

Officers keep an eye out for ATVs in washes, and the department periodically sends four-wheel-drive police vehicles into washes to check for ATVs, said Officer Dallas Wilson, a Tucson police spokesman.

Police have responded to calls complaining about vehicles in washes, he said. But it's hard to apprehend ATV riders: They're often gone by the time police arrive and it's difficult for witnesses to provide much information on them..

The report filed by St. Pierre did not include much information about the suspects, Wilson said. The case has been closed.

In her report, St. Pierre requested extra patrols of the wash, Wilson said.

"We'll try to accommodate that, but it comes back to what the call load is and whether we have the staffing available to do it," he said.

St. Pierre said most horse-vs.-ATV problems are caused by a lack of knowledge about horses.

"It's not that the people who ride the quads are bad — they just don't understand horses," she said.

"Some horses won't even look twice at a motorcycle. Others will go nuts," St. Pierre said.

Advocates for the off-road recreational vehicle industry make the same point: Both equestrians and off-road vehicle enthusiasts need to learn more about each other and offer each other respect.

George Wysopal, vice president of the Trail Riders of Southern Arizona, an off-road group, said he and others who ride off-road vehicles do not advocate the reckless driving that caused Sweeny's injuries.

Those who operate their off-road vehicles like that are by far the exception, he said.

"It's the responsibility of ATV riders to be aware of all the rules and regulations out there," Wysopal said.