Victoria urged to ban horse-drawn carriages

A ride in a horse-drawn carriage through theVictorian-era neighbourhoods of British Columbia's capital city is a time-honoured tourist draw, but an animal rights group wants thebusinesses hobbled.

Jordan Reichert of the Victoria Horse Alliance said the groupwill ask city council on Thursday to phase out the industry by theend of 2017.

"It's animal exploitation, using animals for profit to entertaintourists," he said in an interview on Wednesday."The horse carriages are operating on borrowed time at thispoint. It's not what is going to cause the city to ban them. It'swhen the city is going to ban them."

Claim disputed

More than 900 people have signed his group's online petition toban the rides, citing collisions between carriages and cars andalleging poor maintenance of equipment, improper hoof care and metalbars or "bits" causing pain and damage to horses' mouths.

There are two carriage companies in the city, Tally Ho CarriageTours and Victoria Carriage Tours, that have a total of 52 horsesand employ roughly 70 people.

The companies issued a joint statement in which they disputed thegroup's claims that Victoria had seen over 20 carriage-relatedcollisions and safety concerns over the past 20 years.

"This data includes all reports of any nature within theindustry, no matter how trivial. We are proud of our safety record
as safety is our paramount goal," the companies said."We have documented processes in place to ensure safety checksof horses and equipment are performed multiple times each day."

All carriage drivers are highly experienced in ensuring that bitsare fitted properly and used with respect for the horse, thestatement added.

Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe said the animals must undergo fullphysicals by veterinarians twice a year for companies to obtain andkeep permits. A bylaw officer and B.C. Society for the Prevention ofCruelty to Animals officer also visit the stables to approve theconditions.

She said bylaws have been strengthened over the years, includingtaking carriages off the road during rush hour, and she would notsupport a ban on the industry at this time.

"This is not a priority," she said. "We have had accidents,but definitely not a number of accidents that compare with cyclists,skateboarders and pedestrians."

Banned in other cities

Reichert said his group has filed two cruelty complaints with theSPCA about alleged poor hoof care that he claims is causing horsespain and long-term damage.

He said major cities including Toronto, London and Beijing hadbanned horse-drawn carriages. In New York, a much-debated plan tolimit the rides to a small section of Central Park collapsed inFebruary.

The SPCA did not immediately respond to requests for comment, buta 2008 position statement says the use of animals for recreation,sport or entertainment is acceptable if a number of criteria aremet, including that the animals are cared for and kept from hunger,pain and disease.

Tally Ho Carriage Tours said certified farriers, or experts inequine hoof health, conduct daily inspections and care of horses'hooves and use specially formulated and fitted shoes.

Meanwhile, Coun. Ben Isitt said he supports phasing out theindustry by early 2018 due to ethical and safety concerns. He saidhe most commonly hears complaints about the carriages from tourists.

"I think it's an outmoded form of commerce and transportation ina dense urban area," he said. "Will we lose tourists if this is nolonger permitted in our downtown core? I don't think so."