The city of Montreal has just adopted a draft bylaw that will see horse-drawn carriages banned from the streets starting in 2020. The bylaw has already been approved by the executive committee and will be brought to the city council later this month.
Horse-drawn carriages have been a large part of Montreal’s tourism industry for generations, with advocates claiming they are an important part of Montreal’s old-world appeal. But animal activists maintain that a busy, modern city is no place for a horse. The carriage horses in Montreal are exposed to traffic, rough city pavements, long work hours and often extreme weather conditions. Some studies have shown that horses constantly exposed to traffic fumes can develop emphysema, cancer and respiratory issues, not to mention lameness and foot problems associated with constantly walking over solid cement surfaces.
“Montreal is saying it’s time to move past the calèche industry,” said Craig Sauvé, the city councilor in charge of animal matters. “When I see them after a long time and they’re struggling and they don’t look particularly happy, I feel sorry for them. I say, ‘Is this where we are as a society?’”
Of course, the move is not popular with the calèche owners, who protest that their horses are looked after well and receive regular veterinary check-ups. They threaten that their horses will have to be slaughtered if the ban goes ahead. However, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is confident that the period for phasing them out will provide sufficient time to find the horses a place in a suitable sanctuary.
“We promised in the campaign to put an end to this industry, and we’re giving them a year and a half to adjust and we think that’s enough time,” said Councilor Suave.
City officials revealed that since 2014 there have been four accidents involving horses, along with hundreds of complaints. Also, officers had issued 14 tickets to calèche owners regarding animal welfare or carriage issues in the last two years.
Mayor Denis Coderre attempted to enforce a similar ban in 2016; however, the carriage drivers went to court and managed to obtain an injunction, so Mr. Coderre was unsuccessful. Following this, new regulations were introduced in 2017 that limited the horses working days to nine hours (but still seven days a week) and prohibited them from working in temperatures over 28C.
“By putting an end to this antiquated and inhumane industry, Montreal will be following the lead of several other world-class cities, such as London, Paris, Beijing and Toronto,” said the Montreal SPCA.
We support this move by the Montreal city to end the cruel and unnecessary exploitation of horses for money and hope that this move can inspire other cities that still utilize carriage horses, such as Quebec and New York City, to enforce similar bans.
Yes; cruelty needs to be stopped.
THIS IS GREAT NEWS, BUT 2020 IS STILL FAR AWAY.!
I HOPE IT ENDS BEFORE THEN AND IN EVERY STATE!
PEOPLE NEED TO STOP TAKING THESE RIDES, STOP SUPPORTING THEM
AND READ ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE POOR HORSES!
HOPEFULLY BETWEEN NOW AND 2020 IT HORSE CARRIAGE RIDES EVERY WHERE WILL
START FADING AWAY!
HOPEFULLY IT WILL END BEFORE 2020 AND EVERYWHERE!
2020 IS STILL A LONG WAY AWAY AND THESE POOR HORSES
ARE SUFFERING IN PAIN DAY IN AND SAY OUT!
THIS REALLY NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE 2020!
But the horses MUST NOT BE SLAUGHTERED!!!They must go to a sanctuary or to the country and beeing used for disabled persons and children for ride on natural terrain and envirement!!
YES! I TOTALLY AGREE, THEY NEED TO BE SAFE AND PROTECTED IN LOVING,CARING,SAFE FOREVER
SANCTUARIES AND FARMS WHERE THEY CAN BE FREE,HAPPY,SAFE AND LOVED FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES!
CONGRATULATIONS TO MONTREAL!!!!!????????????????????
How about New York and Philly?
Please tell me what harm are the horse carriages doing .I think they are wonderfull . We have them in Queenstown New Zealand and what a wonderfull sight they are the Tourists love them.
Lance, this issue is not about humans and what they “want.” This is about using sentient beings as objects for profit! the subject matter is about the suffering that horses experience at the hands of abusive owners whose goal is to profit at any cost to the defenseless victim. I’m curious, Lance, are you, in some way, connected with a horse carriage business?
You also touch on the other problem: Humans who are complicit in this cruelty by their supporting such abusiveness to pleasure me-myself-and-I! SHAME ON SELFISH HUMANS!!
The fact that you need this explained to shows you have a low i.q. and obviously not an ounce of compassion. I’m sure the tourists would be ok with children as slave labor too but again – WAKE UP IDIOT!
Great !
My concern is the horses are going to end up in the slaughter house . Canadian retired horses seem to often end up there.
Victoria B.C. is facing the same issue with horse buggies.
Hope the S. P.C.A. can help relocate homes for the horses.
Agreed Ruth, even our US horses end up there for slaughter, so hardly a safe place for a horse to live, ESPECIALLY when owned by people who say if you end their job as carriage horse, they will end up slaughtered per article! Clearly they don’t love their horses despite their claims of great care, because regardless of outcome they would never even THREATEN that end for their horses, but instead would ASSURE that does NOT happen!! God Bless our horses, and all animals world wide who suffer at the hands of humans!!
APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE !!! To Canada for banning this cruel exploitation of horses. Too many times the vicious, cruel, dangerous human predator’s only interest in an animal is for profit. As animal cruelty is becoming a common punishable crime, all government bodies need to jump on the band wagon and act on the side of compassion and common sense. Animals in the hands of dangerous predators are like three years old children in the care of pedophiles.
Pelo fim da exploração animal. Libertação animal ainda q tardia.
So glad to hear this! Now it needs to be banned EVERYWHERE!!
Wonderful.
These are run by greedy disgusting ppl. Thank God someone has common sense to stop this. Now get the Americans on board. Stop the mule slavery in canyons/parks and carriages on 7th and W59th and Central Park NY. If only the ignorant tourist knew what those horses endure.
Thank you
Well maintained, well cared for, regular vet check-ups? Maybe a very, very few but for most the $$$$ is the bottom line & to hell with the poor working horse who is strapped in a harness, hooked to a buggy while the driver just sits there! These horses stand on pavement for hours or pull these carriages, made even heavier by passengers with most of the time only one horse expected to bear this weight, rain or shine, cold or hot. Well cared for? Look at the picture. One can clearly see this horse’s ribs & the horse is unkempt. Some of these horses will likely be dead before 2020 either due to traffic related illnesses or being worked to death and/or not properly cared for. Those that are being threatened by owners as “having to be slaughtered” should be taken as a threat of cruelty & abuse & the horses taken from them & taken to sanctuaries to FINALLY live (out) their lives in peace for however long they have.
A year and a half???Some horses will be dead by then. The same cruelty is happening to horses in Fredericksburg, VA and New Orleans LA
Adrienne, you are absolutely correct! A year & a half just seems too long to make this happen! And yes, I have no doubt that many of these poor horses will be dead by then. I’ve never been to Fredericksburg VA but I have been to New Orleans LA & yes, they do have horse drawn carriages. The horses (then) looked much more cared for, well fed & clean but still busy streets with harmful emissions being breathed by these horses damaging their lungs is not where these horses should be. Having to stand for hours on end and/or plunder along for hours on end with the load made heavier by passengers just seems unjust. I feel sorry for them. They work in the cold, the heat (& humidity in New Orleans is incredible), the rain, sun bearing down on them. They can’t lay down, they are hooked to that carriage & can’t do much. They can’t even eat or drink unless the owner/driver cares to give it to them. Even then they have a bit in their mouths. They also have/do carriage rides in & around Gatlinburg TN.
Your title and Pen name say quite a bit about your stance on the issue before anyone actually moves on the the actual article. Cruel is your opinion, and slaughter by any definition is far more ‘cruel than carriage work. That IS where they will go, and you are hip hip hooraying that fact. All in the name of your selfish feeling on the subject. You writing is pathetically juvenile, just like your knee-jerk clelbration. Well great job! The horses blood is on your hands ‘freethinker’
Your poor, clueless idiot, she is reporting on the subject, she isn’t the one in Canada changing the law, and the bottom line IS something needs to be done about the way many of these horses are treated, and working in these high traffic areas is NOT safe, or humane for horses, OR the people trying to navigate around them, or deal with collisions, so take your righteousness elsewhere, or offer a better solution, something has to be done, and hating on people who care solves nothing!!
Beng, if you want to see who is truly ” pathetically juvenile,” go look in the mirror. Unfortunately, closing the door after the fact can have devastating consequences. That only further makes the case of why this type of business should not be legal. Many who see animals as profit widgets, throw them away like garbage when they can no longer be profitable. But if they can further profit from selling the victim to the “meat” industry, then that is what the heartless jerks do. Lady Freethinker is not a miracle worker, but with her compassionate soul and her hard work, on behalf of the animals, I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t cause little miracles here and there.
Just looking at this picture. The guy looks nice and well feed. The carriage is pretty and well kept. But take a look at the horse with all the garb on him. You can see his ribs. I have heard how they treat there horse’s and it is not good. At least not the majority of the owners.
Good for you Montreal.
I wish the U S would follow your good example.
So what is cruel about a carriage? Seems you may be carrying things too far.
Alleluia God! Thank you, may your will be done on earth. Always protect the children and animals.
I am so glad just look at the horse how malnourished they are. They don’t even get a chance to drink
water nor rest.
SHAME ON THE OWNERS.
This is great news indeed. Should’ve been done a long time ago. I hope other cities folllow suit. ??
This is good news with a long enough time lapse to allow for a sensible closedown for the carriage owners. The horse pictured is in poor condition and that owner is guilty of neglect.
So happy for the horses! Pity this was not stopped long ago already!
I hope New York and Melbourne, Australia are the next to wake up about this problem.
Not in Victoria BC… our local and provincial politicians are more interested in money and keeping Big Business afloat than they’ll ignore animal cruelly. Thanks a heap John Horgan and Lisa Helps for your lack of action.
This is amazing news!! It would also be amazing if people chose to go ahead and pull out from this business now and not wait until the ban goes into effect in 2020!!
Yes!
Humans are so stupid to animals that is a shame their existence. How can anyone be so ignorant and do not respect the animals?
Bravo, Montreal, for passing legislation against exploiting the poor horses. I hope this will provide momentum for other cities to follow suit. Regulations limiting horses to work 9 hours, 7 days per week – how barbaric! I feel sorry for the poor horses. May they live out pleasant days in a suitable sanctuary.
I think this is fantastic news. Those horses should be treated. Like royalty!!!!
At last now maybe all other Provinces & the U.S. can follow their lead & everything will be way better for these poor put upon horses. Take care
That IS good news! My daughter now lives in Montreal and she will be happy about that, too. Good work, everyone!