Save horse drawn carriages

Horse-drawn carriage rides are as much an iconic part of city life as yellow taxis and skyscrapers.

Unfortunately, the animal rights activists of the world, including the mayor of New York City, are vying for the elimination of the tradition.

The mayor announced last week it’s his full intention to remove all horse-drawn carriages from the streets of New York City and make way for old-fashioned automobile rides instead. Apparently, the two concepts are interchangeable.

Those opposed to the use of horse-drawn carriages claim the animals are mistreated, neglected and malnourished. They argue the only humane thing to do is eliminate their use altogether.

This is a terrible overreaction that is leading to a big mistake.
The removal of all horse-drawn carriages after almost 200 years would be a tragedy.
This is a metropolitan tradition millions have enjoyed since its origin. Any kind of criticism of the act can be addressed and resolved without having to remove it.

The assumption all companies treat their horses poorly is a gross oversight of the hundreds that do.

The Indianapolis Star this week explained just how well treated some of the horses that graze the downtown circuit are. The horses receive frequent haircuts, farrier treatments, chiropractic consultations and even specialized diets for joint pains and arthritis.

They are hardly mistreated and anything but malnourished.

Their forced participation during poor weather conditions, including extreme cold and heat, hasn’t been fairly assessed.

The Indianapolis carriage company Yellow Rose even chose to forgo a highly profitable Valentine’s Day to ensure the safety and health of their 12 draft horses during weather
that is too snowy or icy.

Although I’m sure there are scenarios where horses aren’t treated as well, writing the practice off altogether is a mistake and a cause of unemployment for a lot of people.

The argument all horses are overworked and unable to pull the demanded loads is a blanket claim that doesn’t apply to many companies who schedule days for the horses not to work.

There are no better replacements for horse-drawn carriages, especially when they aren’t necessary.

Leave carriages on city streets and invest the time and money aimed at replacing them into issues that actually require reconciliation.
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— cnmclwa@indiana.edu
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Claire McElwain on Twitter
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