Animal-rights activists who periodically lobby against the horse-drawn carriages that are so popular with tourists should look elsewhere to see what is likely to happen to the horses.
News reports suggest that in Ontario, 13,000 horses (standardbreds, thoroughbreds and quarter horses) could be destroyed in 2013 if the Ontario horse racing industry collapses. Without racing income, owners can't justify feeding their animals and will have no option but to destroy the ones they have and stop breeding new ones.
The same thing is likely to happen in Victoria to the carriage horses. If the horses can't work, why would the owners undergo the expense of feeding and caring for them?
Activists are fond of saying that no one asked the horses if they want to work. Under these circumstances, what do they think the answer would be, if the horses could speak?
John Amon
Victoria
