Source: Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages
Tragic carriage horse accident in Ireland (carriage being removed)
AMERICAN COUPLE DIE IN IRELAND IN TRAGIC HORSE CARRIAGE ACCIDENT
While the road appeared to be treacherous, the horse apparently spooked and bolted, pulling the carriage into the ravine and killing himself and his passengers
This story was picked up in many papers around the country including the Washington Post, NY Post, NY Daily News, USA Today many national and local TV stations
NY Post – 4/10/18
from Extra.ie – 4/12/18
“Stewart Ainsley was driving in a car behind the horse and cart when he saw the horrific tragedy involving Rosalyn Joy Few, 64, a US citizen, and her Canadian partner Normand Larose, 62, unfold within a ‘matter of seconds’.
‘We think he was going too fast, the horse. But by the time he decided to brake, obviously the cart must have went into the back of the horse, causing the horse to panic … then the horse took off,’ Mr Ainsley told RTÉ’s Liveline yesterday.”
PUBLIC SAFETY: ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS TO BAN
HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES
Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages www.banhdc.org
Horses Without Carriages International www.horseswithoutcarriages.org
Horses Without Carriages International www.horseswithoutcarriages.org
Our campaign is dedicated to banning the inhumane, unsafe, anachronistic and hack line
horse-drawn carriage trade in NYC and elsewhere.
We need a total ban, not a “compromise” that will doom the horses to a life of misery.
Horses can easily become unwitting weapons and cause accidents that may result in serious injury or death to themselves, their passengers or innocent passersby.
This is the message we have been trying to convey to
the authorities for years.
These are the facts about horses that should give every Mayor, Legislator and Administrator pause about supporting the horse-drawn carriage trade or considering allowing a new business into their city. Horses are accidents waiting to happen.
- Horses are prey animals. This refers to an animal that traditionally may be hunted for food — an animal that is sought, captured and eaten by a predator. Horses’ natural enemies are mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, bears and even humans. They are hard-wired to react when they believe they are in danger. They have a well-developed fight or flight response and will spook and run for their lives. This can be in reaction to an umbrella opening, a loud noise, leaves rustling, plastic bags, or an unexpected bump or push. It could be just about anything that they see as a threat.
- Size of a Horse: Horses that pull carriages generally weigh between 1,500 and 2,000 pounds and are very strong and muscular. They are intimidating but are probably more afraid of you. Charlotte’s Web, the movie based on a classic children’s book by E.B. White – beloved by both children and adults – captured this characteristic perfectly and humorously. Ike, the horse, was many times the size of Charlotte, the spider, but was terrified to the point that he fainted and would only talk to her with his back turned.
- City Officials generally do not want to rock the boat and look at horse-drawn carriages as people entertainment and the horses as automatons. While there have been many spooking accidents in NYC that have caused serious injuries, it is only a matter of time before someone dies. It has happened in many other places around the globe.
- Carriage drivers and their supporters will say their horses are “trained” and “bomb proof.” There is no such thing because a horse’s nature cannot be denied. We see this all the time with accidents. We need to remember that a carriage business is profit motivated. It is not an equine sanctuary. They need for people to believe that they “love their horses like family, ” working and living conditions are excellent and everything is perfect.
