Ban Atlanta Horse Carriages!

“When horses grow too old, tired, or ill to continue pulling heavy loads, they aren't retired to green pastures and loving homes as many people are led to believe. It's cost-prohibitive to maintain a permanent sanctuary for the countless numbers of horses who break down in this industry. Instead, many worn-out horses are slaughtered and turned into food for dogs or for carnivores in zoos, or else they're shipped overseas for human consumption.”

Horses on average live for thirty years- Atlanta horses used for carriage businesses live on average only four years before they are slaughtered. Even though there are laws that carriage companies must abide by, these laws are not strictly enforced. These animals are forced to work from 1:00 p.m.-6 a.m. seven days a week with no adequate breaks, food, or water. They are forced to work in severe weather conditions. The maybe seven hours a day they are not pulling heavy loads through the streets of Atlanta should be restful, but it is nothing of the sort. The living conditions of these horses are far from acceptable. They are kept out in the elements with no grass, and are often surrounded by garbage in these inner city stables.

Accidents have occurred in nearly every city where carriage rides are allowed. We have had horses drop dead in our streets, yet companies that continue to abuse the horses have no repercussions. These horses are seen struggling even without a load in their carriage, and load capacity laws are not enforced. Horses were never meant to work in an urban environment. Horse carriages and modern traffic are not compatible and no adjustments to the law will ever make these conditions acceptable or safe for all involved.

Horses are afforded no federal protection under the Animal Welfare Act, so the responsibility of looking out for the horses' welfare falls to local animal control officials. Unfortunately anti-cruelty laws provide few safeguards for horses, and many animal control authorities just don't have the resources or the time to monitor horse-drawn carriages in order to ensure that horses are not being overworked and that operators are following regulations. The people in charge of protecting these horses are everyday police officers with no equestrian knowledge. Instead law enforcement relies on the carriage companies to willingly comply, but any person(s) that stand to collect monetary gain cannot be trusted to have the animal’s best interest. Please help us ban horse carriages in Atlanta and hopefully all of Georgia. There is no excuse for this type of animal abuse. Carriage rides are not romantic, they are an outdated relic that has no place in a progressive modern society.