Horse drawn carriages come have come under scrutiny again with incidents, bans and protests in Melbourne, Rome, New York, and Montreal.
In Montreal, Canada, calls to end the carriage trade within the city have intensified. Two incidents during the first long weekend of the summer. In one, a horse fell, requiring the assistance of onlookers and a veterinarian to help it regain its feet. In another, a horse tripped and fell, crashing the vehicle it was hitched to after the driver lost control. The driver had to be treated for minor injuries.
Montreal
Last year, the mayor of Montreal tried to put a one-year ban on carriages operating within the city. But the ban was struck down in court. The Montreal Montreal SPCA supports the ban. There are fears that this being the year of Montreal’s 375th anniversary and Canada’s sesquicentennial that more tourists in the city may mean more accidents on the already crowded streets. Both recent incidents were attributed to horses tripping over sidewalk curbs. Protests are being organized for the end of May. An online petition started in 2015 has been revived following the weekend carriage accidents.
New York
The debate over whether the carriage trade in New York continues. Outraged surged again when news spread of a horse falling on a taxi within Manhattan. The horses were being ridden from their stable to the location of their carriage in Central Park. One horse spooked, running backward with its rider and falling with its head awkwardly against a taxi van. The horse was checked over, and later a veterinarian was seen coming out of the stable and it was reported that the horse only suffered a few minor scrapes and bruises. Still, many people see this is just another accident that proves that horses do not belong on the streets of New York.
Rome
The city of Rome has about forty horse-drawn carriage operators. There were plans to end horse-drawn carriages in the city, but pressure from the operators forced city government to abandon the plan. Extreme heat, crowded, slippery roads and loud noises are faced by the horses making many believe that the city of Rome is no place for a horse. Many complain that currently there are laws about the treatment of carriage horses, but no enforcement of the law. Ideally, the horse carriages would be replaced by the electric cars bought for the purpose in 2015, but not yet used.
Melbourne
Starting June 30, the city of Melbourne, Australia will not be issuing permits for new carriages within the city. Years of protest by activists has put pressure on city officials to bring an end to the carriage trade there. Existing carriages are being confined to areas with less traffic as accidents have happened when carriage drivers have done U-turns in front of busy tourist spots. Not all carriages have permits, however, since the roadways in Melbourne are under the jurisdiction of VicRoads, the traffic authority in that area and have a legal right to travel on the roadways. That means the city officials have no say, just as if they were cyclists, over their right to be on the roadways. However, where they can stop for passengers can be subject to rules. Activists hope, however, that the public will understand that horses and vehicles are a bad mix and that Melbourne’s carriage trade is coming to an end.
I've had to spend some time in the city lately, and I can't say I've particularly enjoyed the experience. With its crowded sidewalks, bumper-to-bumper traffic, car exhaust and strange smells, potholes and streetcar tracks, flashin ...
While I fundamentally agree that the time for the carriage trade in its present form is past, some of the arguments you see online against it don’t make sense.The public often doesn’t see horses in the same way ‘horse people’ do, ...
In Montreal, Canada, calls to end the carriage trade within the city have intensified. Two incidents during the first long weekend of the summer. In one, a horse fell, requiring the assistance of onlookers and a veterinarian to he ...
The rumblings about the carriage trade in Victoria have been ongoing for some time now. An incident last May has brought the business under harder scrutiny. Earlier this spring, two horses pulling a carriage fell on the street. A ...
Animal activists cry foul as video of a horse pulling a wagon load of tourists enjoying a day at a maple sugar bush fell. The Montreal SPCA is investigating and the contractor who ran the wagon ride at the sugar bush has suspende ...
Like so many other cities and tourist areas around the world, Savannah, Georgia is grappling with issues surrounding carriage horses. Even in the hottest days of summer, Savannah’s three carriage operators give tours through histo ...
Calèche horses in the city of Montreal are again in the focus of animal rights activists. This time a horse slipped as it crossed a metal plate and ended up lying on its side in the street. Although the police found no abuse of th ...
After years of controversy the city of Montreal, Quebec, caleches, the quaint carriage rides through the historic city are banned as of January 1, 2020. The tourist districts will no longer hear the familiar clip clop of hooves as ...
It often seems that tourism and horses is an unfortunate mix, especially when the offerings go unregulated. Such is the case in Istanbul, where carriage rides have come under scrutiny. Combined with a deadly virual outbreak, Istan ...
It may be winter in the Northern Hemisphere but show season never slows down on Ponybox. Several horses have topped the 100” mark in jump offs. Here’s a look at the top five highest jumpers on Ponybox right now. ...
Animal rescuers in Massassachettes had to dig two horses out of their stalls after they discovered a horrific case of neglect. The two horses had sores on their back from rubbing on the rafters of their stalls because the manure w ...
Covid19, the new coronavirus that has turned into a global pandemic is affecting almost everything and certainly dominating the news. It’s likely to be that way for weeks, and possibly months to come. Coronaviruses take up residen ...
It’s always fun to see unusual marriage proposals. But some special moments shouldn’t be upstaged by a horse. Recently, a horse took center stage in a carefully planned proposal. She said yes, but with the horse taking nibbles at ...
The Ponybox game foaled in 2001 and since then there have been a lot of changes. Servers have crashed, the rules have evolved. And many of the oldest barns have disappeared, or morphed into newer establishments as the game has cha ...
You’d expect to have to head out into the wilderness to observe wild horses. But that isn’t the case in Reno, Nevada. In fact, it’s not unusual to see horses wandering through Reno neighborhoods and the streets of other nearby tow ...
A new study suggests that kids with autism and ADHD may benefit from horseback riding lessons. Not only does riding help with motor function, strength, flexibility and dexterity, researchers also felt that that participants in the ...
Horses are weird! Yes they are. They walk around on one finger, have few if any close relatives and as a species, have taken a strange circuitous route from North America and back again. Vloggers Hank and John, who call themselves ...
By 
