Victoria Animal News Animal news for Victoria and across B.C.
Horse carriages on last legs in Victoria after recommendations.
For the past several years, the Victoria Horse Alliance has been advocating for a ban on the horse carriages in Victoria, B.C. On May 4th, they obtained video footage of two horses collapsed at Ogden Point that struggled to get up and showed incompetence on the part of the carriage company to handle the situation. The video has received nearly 400,000 views on their Facebook page.
Now, the BC SPCA has sent a letter to the city of Victoria after reviewing the video, which states: “The BC SPCA recommends Council prohibit the operation of horse-drawn carriages and trolleys on Victoria’s streets, limiting their operation to the safer park environment.” As well as, “The BC SPCA also advises that horse-drawn vehicles be limited to those which only require one horse to operate.”
Jordan Reichert, founder of the Victoria Horse Alliance and West Coast Campaign Officer for the Animal Protection Party of Canada applauded the support from the BC SPCA for removing the horses from the city streets, something he says should have happened a long time ago.
“These animals have been beasts of burden long enough. Our society’s ethics have evolved and our public policy should reflect this shift. Animals should never be exploited for tourist’s entertainment.”
City council will now request for staff to report back to them on the possibilities open to them in considering the BC SPCA’s recommendations.
Carriage company misled public.
In the letter, Bettina Bobsien, a veterinarian and equine expert commented on what she saw in the video, “…I am concerned by the apparent lack of emergency training regarding what to do once the horses were on the ground. The harnesses should have been removed immediately, not after the horses had been struggling for at least 5 minutes on the pavement.”
When the incident first happened, the carriage industry put out a statement that said the following: “Both horses fell to the ground, where they remained calm and waited for their handlers to remove their harness. Once they were given the ok from their team, the horses easily stood and walked back to their staging area.” “
However, in the letter from the BC SPCA, they state the following; “The content of the video contradicts statements released by Victoria Carriage Tours.” And that, “It is decidedly troubling that Victoria Carriage Tours chose to inappropriately downplay a serious incident which put the public at risk.”
Reichert stated that the carriage industry originally tried to minimize the seriousness of the incident when only the images of the accident were available, but once the video came out it was clear there was more to the story.
“When you watch the video, you can easily see that the carriage company statement is a lie. Their interest was not the welfare of the horses or the public, it was about protecting their image and profits.”
Reichert also stated that the Victoria Horse Alliance will be calling on council to ban the horse carriages completely and go beyond relocating them to Beacon Hill Park, as this will not address the underlying issue of animal exploitation.
A petition to Victoria mayor Lisa Helps with nearly 30,000 signatures on it is available here
Candace Park
Victoria Animal News
I wrote to the mayor and council regarding this. One council member supported the ban; the response from the mayor’s office rejected the ban claiming the horses were properly cared for. I would like to send you those responses if it would help your cause.
Please put an end to The Horse & Carriage Industry. Horses are tremendously over worked & under fed 7 days a week 18 hours a day without a break. They continuously carry heavy harnesses & equipment while pulling an extremely heavy load of 1000s of people day in & day out. Its abuse & extreme continuous suffering which is actually inhumane, greedy & selfish. This goes on in sweltering heat & freezing cold temperatures without a break or day off rest. Their living conditions are also an abomination. With no real rest for the weary.
Just watched the video of those two poor horses being helped by the public to get up. Carriage driver doesn’t help. In fact I cant see him at all. Good on the helpers too. The councils can stop this by refusing the carriage licence. What’s wrong with them. These horses seem to be worked to death. Get people to ride bicycles instead. Oh yes, get some descent people to run your council.
This Is Clearly “ANIMAL ABUSE” And Has To Be Stopped! No Animal Should Be Treated Like This!
Please Get The Councils To refused To The Carriage License. This Should Of Been Stopped Years Ago!The Mayor Should Step Up, And Get It DONE Now! Not Later!
This is definitely animal abuse. These are living, breathing animals who feel pain, exhaustion, sadnss, fear. All the same things we would feel if we were treated the same way. I think Canada needs new people in charge. People with a little compassion and love for animals. SHAME ON ALL CANADIANS FOR CONTINUING TO LET THIS ABUSE CONTINUE!!!
It time to make a difference in the welfare of the animals I this case on the welfare of the horses. This incident is calling to wake up our compassion for these horses that deserve a happy life. We are on the times where thing like this can not be permitted any more… let’s start going deep in our hearts and see and feal the pain of these animals.
Time for a change
I agree it is time to put the horse drawn carriage rides to an end. I lived on San Jose st. my entire childhood, a block that was part of the tour routes the horses took. It was a regular sight for me to watch them go by daily, but it never sat right with me. There are many other alternatives to promote the tourism of the bueatuful city without the use of animals. And it is so clear in that video, and hard to watch, the lack of knowledge and training of the staff involved, and the sheer lack of basic common sense of how to help those horses in a safe and efficient manner. Its time to make a change.