Horse carriage companies in downtown Victoria are facing a little more heat than the usual summer sun this week.
A video surfaced on Facebook on Monday of two carriage horses laying on their side near the entrance to Ogden Point off Dallas Road. The video, posted to the page of the Victoria Horse Alliance, an organization seeking to ban horse-drawn carriages in Victoria, shows the animals having a difficult time standing back up.
B次元官网网址淚n the video you have bystanders in the situation who could have been injured,B次元官网网址� Alliance founder Jordan Reichert told the B次元官网网址 on Wednesday. B次元官网网址淭he carriage operators clearly didnB次元官网网址檛 have control of the situation.B次元官网网址�
The post blamed operators for B次元官网网址渁 clear lack of professionalism,B次元官网网址� and implored the City of Victoria to stop supporting an B次元官网网址渋nhumane and corrupt industry.B次元官网网址�
Tom Walker, general manager of Victoria Carriage Tours, which owns the horses in question, said the only reason they had a difficult time getting up was because they were still harnessed together.
B次元官网网址淭he two horses were tied together, impeding their ability to get up,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen we took them off harness, they stood up immediately, unharmed and were very calm before walking to staging area. We called in the vets and they were given a clean label of health.B次元官网网址�
Walker reported that many people commended his team afterward for remaining calm and working fast.
He said the situation was caused by some tight space between the trolley and a tour bus. At one point, he explained, the trolleyB次元官网网址檚 electrical box at the rear got caught on the fender of the bus. B次元官网网址淭he horses stepped back to move around and when the trolley touched the bus it relieved them of some weight, so when they moved forward they started to slip.B次元官网网址�
One horse slipped, and because they were tied together they both fell down.
Reichert said the incident is an example of a larger problem.
B次元官网网址淧eople say B次元官网网址榠tB次元官网网址檚 just an accidentB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut we donB次元官网网址檛 really say that with vulnerable animals, when weB次元官网网址檙e putting them in that situation where their safety is compromised.B次元官网网址�
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The Alliance argued that carriage horses are often overburdened, causing them to slip.
But Walker said this isnB次元官网网址檛 true and certainly wasnB次元官网网址檛 the case at Ogden Point.
B次元官网网址淚t was just a perfect storm with the bus, which IB次元官网网址檓 not trying to blame,B次元官网网址� he said.
The horses Victoria Carriage Tours uses B次元官网网址� draft breeds that include Clydesdales, Belgians and Percherons B次元官网网址� are bred to work and pull this kind of weight, Walker added. He said many breeds would be completely unsuitable for the task, but their fleet of horses are strong enough to pull a carriage on their own, or a trolley in a team of two.
B次元官网网址淥ur horses are really bred to do what theyB次元官网网址檙e doing, they love what theyB次元官网网址檙e doing, they like coming into town, they like that social interaction,B次元官网网址� Walker said. B次元官网网址淚f we didnB次元官网网址檛 bring them downtown it would be just like solitary confinement for a person.B次元官网网址�
