Another ‘Carriage Horse’ Mown Down

The list of accidents involving horse-drawn carriages just got longer. On Monday night, a taxi knocked over a carriage, resulting in injuries to the carriage driver and passengers. Witnesses said the horse was lying in the street beneath the carriage. The extent of his injuries are unknown.

Horses used for carriage rides are forced to work long hours in the heat of summer and the sleet of winter. The noisy and crowded streets are no place for these sensitive, easily spooked animals, and as this latest incident shows, collisions between carriages and hardier vehicles occur somewhat regularly. In New York, at the end of their “shifts,” the horses are tied into tiny stalls, barely bigger than their own bodies, unable even to get the weight off their legs and lie down. Check out Glee star Lea Michele’s video about horses used for carriage rides:

There are compassionate and tourist-friendly options to make sure that this type of accident—and worse—doesn’t keep happening: Pamela Anderson recently promoted the cruelty-free charm of eco-friendly classic cars, which would provide jobs for drivers while giving horses a much-deserved retirement.

Please take a moment to sign PETA’s petition asking New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages. If you know people who are planning a trip to New York this summer, urge them to avoid cruel horse-drawn carriages.

Written by Heather Faraid Drennan