The subject of horse-drawn carriages has come up twice, maybe three times, in this blog. Invariably, as soon as those posts appeared, comments began rolling in. I know if I want to get readers/stir the pot/prompt comments, all I have to do is use the words "horse-drawn carriages" -- and the network supporting it gets to work.
It amazes me how the backers of horse-drawn carriages claim the horses work for a living and not only that, they want to work for a living (when of course (1) the horses haven't said a word on this subject; (2) their mode of work is determined by . . . ta-da! their owners. Gee, what a surprise).
Further, the advocates of horse-drawn carriages never refer to snow and ice-rutted city streets where horses must pull the carriages in winter weather; they never mention car and truck exhaust the horses must inhale. They cite temperature guidelines determining when horses can work or not as if they're always, religiously adhered to and as if they're humane to begin with -- when neither "as if" is necessarily true.
It's about money. And the horses happen to be able to do the thing that makes money for the carriage drivers/horse owners. That's it.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Earlier today, in Old City, Philadelphia, a horse pulling a carriage was attacked by a pit bull. Just an occupational hazard, the drivers might be saying; these things happen. The sad thing is that the pit bull was him/herself a rescue animal, who reportedly was overwhelmed by the noise, traffic and nearby horse -- and attacked the horse. At this point, there's no word about either animal's condition; though there were passengers in the carriage, they were unhurt.
Horses shouldn't be pulling carriages on city streets. Period.
#
