In a world filled with vibrant urban centers, New York City is still indisputably the pinnacle of cool. So it's hard to reconcile this dynamic, cosmopolitan metropolis with the archaic mindset that favors forcing horses to haul carriages. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets recently, calling for this cruel regressive practice to be relegated to the dustbin of the city's storied history.
Horse-drawn carriages don't belong in streets filled with millions of hurried people, speeding taxis and fleets of Uber drivers. Restricting the carriage lines to Central Park _ as Mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered _ is a step in the right direction.
But in 2018, why are horse-drawn carriages still allowed in any city? Municipalities around the world are asking that very question. Montreal's iconic "caleches" will be off the streets by the end of next year. An ordinance introduced in Chicago would prevent the three companies operating horse-drawn carriages in the city from renewing their licenses. In India, the Bombay High Court ordered that all carriages be removed from Mumbai's streets and the horses rehabilitated. And in 2014, Israel imposed a nationwide ban on horse- and donkey-drawn carts on streets and highways.
As Michela Brambilla, Italy's former minister of culture and tourism, put it, "All things have a beginning, and an end and I believe that the age of the botticelle (carriages) is over."
Regulations aren't enough to protect horses. In Savannah, Georgia, carriage operators don't have to pull them out of service until the heat index is 110 degrees or higher or the temperature exceeds 95 degrees; the same sweltering 95-degree threshold also applies in San Antonio.
In some areas, there are no regulations whatsoever. In the Bahamas, for example, where horses haul tourists _ sometimes until the animals drop dead _ the only regulation is that operators are required to have a lamp or reflector on their rig. The horses' needs, including for rest and water breaks, aren't even mentioned in Nassau's traffic regulations.
Even the most "stringent" rules can't negate the cruelty inherent in forcing horses to haul oversized loads for hours on end. Horses don't "enjoy" hard labor. Breathing in exhaust fumes while toiling day in and day out is debilitating and exhausting. Constantly pounding the hard pavement can leave their joints aching and sore. They're meant to be running and grazing in fields, socializing with their herdmates and raising their young.
Additionally, an unexpected honk or other loud noise can spook any horse _ even those acclimated to traffic. Carriage-on-car collisions, as well as other accidents, have occurred in nearly every location in which horse-drawn carriages are permitted. In Bandera, Texas, last January, the operator of a new horse-drawn carriage service was killed when an SUV crashed into her rig. The horse also died, and a passenger was treated for injuries. Fifteen people were injured in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, last December, when a carriage collided with two cars at an intersection. The two horses and the carriage ended up on top of one of the vehicles. Witnesses said that the horses had panicked after the carriage had swerved.
With animal circuses going under, roadside zoos closing their doors and marine theme parks seeing ticket sales plummet, municipalities would do well to recognize that times and sensibilities have changed. More and more people don't want these carriages in their cities, and horses don't want to be on the streets.
