Years ago, all towns and cities in England would have horse-drawn carriages, to transport people around, whether for leisure or business. The first ‘taxis’ were horses, and actually the RSPCA was originally set up, due to concerns over their welfare as draught animals.
Worldwide, there are huge concerns over tourists being asked to pay for ‘animal rides’ on all creatures from donkeys to elephants. In England, we do have much better welfare standards for both horse and donkey rides (there are now laws to prevent obese children riding donkeys on beaches).
But we still do have many tourists pay for horse-drawn carriage rides. No doubt the horse guardians look after their animals well. But with climate change comes very hot weather, and just as in New York (read more on that below), horses are great risk from being spooked by noise, fireworks and are often at risk from traffic accidents.
A History of Horse-Drawn Carriages
Horse-drawn carriages (as you know if you’ve ever watched a Wild West film) were the transport of choice everywhere, before cars were invented. They were also likely faster (the first car accident that killed someone was only driving a few miles per hour).
First invented in the 15th century for nobility, the horse carriage was grand and luxurious (just as we see today for parades with royal weddings and funerals). As time went on, horse carriages became used for many purposes.
Streets Are Too Hot and Busy for Horses
Obviously we don’t want our streets overrun with cars either. But huge population growth and freak weather (meaning it’s often too hot to walk ourselves and dogs on streets, let alone horses) means it’s time to move on to a more compassionate age.
Years ago, conditions for horses were gruelling, with working animals pulling heavy loads. Today they instead pull carriages, with people in them.
Cities are Too Polluted for Horses
Modern pollution means that horses can suffer respiratory conditions, and their hooves can also suffer from regular pounding on pavements, not their natural surface (grass is). When not pounding the streets for tourists or parades, most working horses are not grazing in fields, but cooped up in small stables, until they start work again.
Horses Are Spooked by Noise and Traffic
Horses also naturally are very quiet and docile social animals, who love to just graze and be happy and peaceful in fields. Many working carriage horses spend their lives in noisy towns and cities, spooked by noise, fireworks, loud music and festivals. Just imagine carrying a heavy carriage down a street with thousands of noisy humans cheering? That’s what happens to the average horse with a royal wedding or funeral parade.
You may have recently seen on the news how panicked horses in London escaped from the Household Cavalry, to rampage through the streets (at least one was injured, yet still kept running, covered in blood).
Many horses are startled by traffic. In New York City, there have been several fatalities. There are upsetting photos of horses lying injured or dead in roads, which obviously is distressing also for residents and tourists.
Carriage Horses Are Often Thirsty
Carriage horses are also exposed to a wide variety of differing temperatures. No matter if it’s a cold or hot day, they must pound the streets no matter what, unless the temperatures are too extreme. In everyday life, horse guardians know when to put their horses out to graze and when to keep them inside in stables. Carriage horses don’t get this luxury.
Asphalt in particular can dangerously heat up (which is why people say that if the pavement is too hot for your hand, it’s too hot for dog paws). And that means it’s also too hot for horses, who in nature will typically drink 5 to 10 gallons of water a day. In hot weather, they could lose up to 10 gallons of water, which puts them at risk from severe dehydration.
If you are walking along and you’re thirsty, you can stop off at a shop to buy a cold drink. A horse on a parade or tourist ride can’t do this, he or she has to wait until later on, even if it’s too hot or it’s a simple case of thirst from exercise.
Alternatives to Horse-Drawn Carriages
Old Mount Dora Carriage Company (Florida) is one of the first carriage ride companies that ‘doesn’t horse around’! These beautifully designed vehicles are often used for tourist historic ride and weddings, along with romantic excursions. The company was founded, to offer an alternative to horses having to work in Florida’s stifling heat.
Although the windy city of Chicago banned horse-drawn carriages years ago, with Dallas soon to follow suit. In New York City, one idea is 20-style vintage-style electric vehicles. The Belgian city of Brussels banned horse-drawn carriages from 2024, replacing them with vehicles similar to the ones proposed in New York. Other places to ban them are Rome and Montreal.
The Bill to ban horse carriages in New York is set to become Ryder’s Law, named after an elderly New York carriage horse who collapsed in a heatwave and died a few months later, found to be suffering from many ailments. Photos over the border in Mexico have recently been shown on the news, showing street horses collapsing in the street, often due to heat.
Strangely, the one country fighting to keep horse-drawn carriages sappears to be England. We often think (perhaps unfairly) that ‘Spain is cruel to animals. Yet while we still have horse-drawn carriages for tourists, they have been banned in many Spanish resorts, including Palma (Mallorca).
