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SPCA calls for horse-drawn carriages to be banned from Victoria streets

Latest move is first of a kind; city council to consider the issue on Thursday
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A horse-drawn carriage navigates the traffic on Government at Belleville streets on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.

The B.C. SPCA is recommending horse-drawn carriages be banned from Victoria streets following an incident last month in which two horses struggled to find their footing after one fell, taking the other down with it.

“Permitting the continued operation of horse-drawn tours on busy streets places horses at risk of injury or death,” B.C. SPCA CEO Craig Daniell wrote in a letter city council will consider Thursday. “If tours continue, they should only take place in the safer park environment to reduce dangers to public safety and animal welfare.”

Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe, council’s lead on animal welfare issues, is recommending city staff report back with information council might need to fully consider the SPCA recommendation.

“Whereas in the past people have mentioned exhaust fumes, the heat, the walking on pavement, the care of the horses [as concerns], in their letter, they don’t refer to any of those being an issue,” she said.

“The major issue is that the streets are getting busier and maybe drivers are being less patient and because of that can be a danger to the horses and to the passengers.”

Thornton-Joe said most of the animal welfare recommendations she has brought to council have come from the SPCA.

“In the past, the B.C. SPCA has never asked me or asked council to ban horse-drawn carriages. They’ve only asked us to bring in certain guidelines to ensure the safety of horses and the passengers,” she said.

Other SPCA recommendations include:

• Horse-drawn vehicles be limited to those that require only one horse.

• Establishing procedures for urgent situations.

• Requiring operators to complete incident reports, which would include a description of what happened, location and witness details.

• Requiring operators to have an emergency kit for each carriage, containing an extra halter, four traffic cones and first aid kits for both people and horses.

Daniell said video of the May 4 incident at Ogden Point in which one of a team of two horses fell “posed a serious threat to public safety and the animals’ welfare.”

The video appears to contradict statements released by Victoria Carriage Tours, he said.

While the company initially indicated both horses remained calm and patiently waited for handlers to remove their harnesses, the video shows otherwise, he said. “The handlers prompted the horses to stand while still harnessed, putting them at further risk of injury.”

Veterinarian and equine specialist Bettina Bobsien, asked by the B.C. SPCA to comment, said she was concerned about the apparent lack of emergency training displayed by the handlers.

“The harnesses should have been removed immediately, not after the horses had been struggling for at least five minutes on the pavement,” Bobsien wrote.

“Helpers were not directed to stay away from the leg side of the down horses, putting them at significant risk of injury.”

Victoria Carriage Tours said the incident occurred after a bus pulled up directly behind a trolley being pulled by the horses.

As the trolley was prepared to move forward, it rolled back and hit the bus.

The collision caused the harness to slacken, knocking horses Chris and Matt off-balance. Chris fell, pulling Matt down with him in the middle of the road.

Tally-Ho Carriage Tours issued a statement Tuesday pointing out that the incident did not involve their business.

“The [B.C. SPCA] letter primarily focused on recommendations to improve safety procedures for horse-drawn operations; however, one sentence contains a concerning blanket statement that the city consider shutting down the entire industry. We are confused how safety recommendations suddenly jump to a statement that potentially puts our business at risk,” wrote owner Donna Friedlander.

“In every aspect of our operations Tally-Ho follows strict procedures and precautions to maximize the safety of our horses, staff and the general public. We operate under the guidelines of a comprehensive, 70-page Policies and Procedures Manual, a copy of which was provided to [councillor] Charlayne Thornton-Joe prior to the commencement of our 2018 season. This manual includes specific emergency procedures; instructions on documenting incidents; daily checks that safety kits are on each carriage; internal restrictions on operating areas that go beyond current regulations; proper handling of horses; and detailed horse and staff training programs that were developed with leading equine experts.”

Tally-Ho is a board member of the Carriage Operators of North America, which oversees best practices in the industry, wrote Friedlander.

“We are a progressive company that continually implements advancements in the carriage industry and sets high standards of ethics and care. Tally-Ho exceeds both current and proposed regulations. The industry's safety record is outstanding at only a 0.00001% incident rate over the last 20 years.”

The Times Colonist tried to contact Victoria Carriage Tours but did not hear back.

bcleverley@timescolonist.com

— With files from Louise Dickson