This Philly Icon Has Four Wheels, Not Four Legs
Did you know there’s a way to take a quaint carriage ride without exploiting horses? Meet Caroline, a horse-free electric carriage.
First presented in Philadelphia in 2023 by our friends at Carriage Horse Freedom, Caroline has become a beloved local icon. She has transported city officials, national celebrities, and countless passengers at parades, private events, and tours. Learn more about Caroline and how you can help urge cities to adopt animal-free carriage rides.
Horses Suffer When Used for Carriage Rides—But Caroline Was Built for It
Caroline’s impact stretches far beyond Philly’s city limits. AFAR magazine recognized her as one of the “5 EV Tours That Are Changing Sightseeing in the United States.” PETA teamed up with Carriage Horse Freedom to also present Caroline at a Savannah, GA, rally ahead of a city council vote to lower the maximum temperature at which horses can be forced to pull carriages.
Horses are sensitive animals who startle easily, and busy city streets full of honking cars, blaring sirens, and construction noise are terrifying for them. Carriage industry drivers force horses to inhale exhaust fumes, pound the pavement for hours, and endure extreme heat or bitter cold while pulling heavy loads. Both horses and humans are at risk at any moment, as residents in cities like New York have seen over and over. Riders have had to jump from moving carriages, and horses like Ryder and Lady suffered and died after being used in the carriage industry.
Urge Cities to Ditch Horse-Drawn Carriages and Use Horseless Carriages Instead
Horse-free carriages like Caroline are paving the way towards a kinder future. In 2024, Brussels became the first European city to offer e-carriage rides after banning horse-drawn carriages, and e-carriages have been introduced in other cities, like Charleston, SC, and Atlanta, GA. This progress can’t come soon enough for the suffering horses.
If you live in a city where horse-drawn carriage rides are still allowed, contact your local legislators to ask if they will sponsor a ban. With your help—and with Caroline and other e-carriages paving the way—the future of city tourism can be compassionate, sustainable, and animal-exploitation-free.
Take action for horses in New York City:
