Accidents are no stranger to the horse-drawn carriage industry, there have been countless incidents in which carriages have been hit by impatient or careless drivers. And accidents have occurred in nearly every city where carriage rides are allowed. In a state which prides itself on its horses, we shouldn’t be allowing carriage rides to happen at all, horses shouldn’t be forced to dodge traffic, or pound the pavement for hours at a time. The long-term effects of this can be debilitating to horses, because of their large lungs, they may develop respiratory ailments from the vehicle exhaust fumes they breathe, and they can suffer painful leg problems from walking on the hard pavement.

Carriage rides are so dangerous and cruel that they’ve been banned in many cities including Chicago; Camden, New Jersey; Salt Lake City, and more. Lexington should show the rest of the world that it is a progressive and compassionate city by refusing to allow horse-drawn carriage rides. 

The time to ban horse-drawn carriage rides is overdue. Laws regulating the carriage trade have long failed horses, many of whom have suffered and died.  Please urge the Lexington City Council to pass a resolution for a  city-wide ban on the use and operation of horse-drawn carriages--a decision which will undoubtedly garner recognition for being a destination that is friendly to animals.