Animal rights activists back ban on carriage rides (From Oxford Mail)
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Animal rights activists back ban on carriage rides
11:00am Wednesday 21st December 2011 in News By Tom Jennings
ANIMAL rights groups yesterday praised councillors for dumping “archaic and cruel” plans to allow horse-drawn carriages in Oxford.
Oxford City Council rejected the plan because of animal welfare and public safety concerns, after a strong campaign by Animal Aid and PETA.
The plans would have seen horse-drawn carriages operate through the city – initially only on Sundays – for the first time in 70 years.
Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler said: “We are absolutely delighted. The plan had serious animal welfare and public health issues.”
He said there was no adequate provision for shelter or rest stops in the plans and Oxford’s cobbled street and pollution would have injured the horses. Animal Aid paid £186 to hire a room in the Town Hall before the Monday night full council meeting to offer councillors drop-in briefings.
PETA spokesman Mimi Bekhechi said: “Horse-drawn carriages are not just archaic and cruel to the horses, who are forced to work long hours in extreme weather conditions while walking on hard pavement and inhaling exhaust fumes all day long, but also dangerous to motorists and pedestrians.
“Horses are sensitive animals and can easily become spooked on the street.”
PETA organised a 700-signature petition against the campaign.
The plan was proposed by Kevin Merry Carriages, which has operated a horse-drawn carriage business for more than 10 years.
Mr Merry, from Murcott, said: “I feel that Oxford has missed out on an opportunity. The councillors would have had full control of how this was run. I would have had to have got a licence from them, with lots and lots of stipulations and at any time they could revoke the licence and I would not be able to trade.”
He said he expected animal rights groups to get involved, but added: “This is nothing like animal testing. They are working horses and they are my pride and joy.”
He does not plan to take the matter further.
During Monday night’s debate, councillor Ed Turner said: “I just don’t think Oxford city centre is the right place for this. I cannot believe trotting around The Plain roundabout is going to be in the interests of animal welfare or the safety of cyclists, motorists or pedestrians.”
But councillor John Tanner said: “We are prepared to allow pedestrians and cyclists to wander the streets of central Oxford suffering all those horrors the horses are going to suffer, but we do not ban pedestrians or cyclists and we should not ban horses.”
Councillors voted the scheme down 27 to 16.
Comments(17)
Joe Chapman
says...
11:55am Wed 21 Dec 11
In which case I think we should be making our city more accessible to horses and comfortable rather than banning them. Especially if the horse manure hits the fan big time next year and no-one can afford to drive anymore.
I wouldn't mind being able to use a horse and cart myself. I'm sick of the pollution and noise from cars.
museli
says...
12:30pm Wed 21 Dec 11
Tanner rather missed the point with his comparison to cyclists and pedestrians as they can get shelter and rest in lots of Oxford establishments - I think all the coach houses that used to provide for the needs of horses have long gone.
Sgt Oxford
says...
12:31pm Wed 21 Dec 11
Joe Chapman
says...
1:42pm Wed 21 Dec 11
museli wrote:Last I heard women were perfectly entitled to walk around on their own at night. The fact that many women get sexually assaulted exercising this right might give some clue as to what a stupid idea it is.
Last I heard you were perfectly entitled to ride a horse on the road in Oxford. The fact that no one apart from the police exercises this right might give some clue as to what a stupid idea it is. Tanner rather missed the point with his comparison to cyclists and pedestrians as they can get shelter and rest in lots of Oxford establishments - I think all the coach houses that used to provide for the needs of horses have long gone.
Joe Chapman
says...
1:56pm Wed 21 Dec 11
I think we're in a desperate situation as regards cars, fuel, accidents, pollution etc and the unique selling point of a car has completely disappeared in most cases due to the amount of traffic on the ride. On that basis it seems reasonable to conclude that using horses as transport makes a lot more sense than using cars in most cases. "There was a multi horse pile-up in Oxford today which is creating delays...", "**** government, horse tax has gone up again...", "6,000 people a year die from illness related to breathing in horse fumes..."
Joe Chapman
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1:57pm Wed 21 Dec 11
Joe Chapman
says...
2:17pm Wed 21 Dec 11
"Residents of an Oxford road are up in arms against the number of horses parked on the pavement. The horse owners claim they have been forced to park their horses on the pavement because the horse drawn waste removal carriage carrying stuff that people waste cannot access the roads. "
Joe Chapman
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2:41pm Wed 21 Dec 11
Joe Chapman
says...
2:55pm Wed 21 Dec 11
So don't use Merton Street then? or put a better surface down.
As for pollution?
Pollution from what? cars? Horse ****? Surely more horses could eventually mean less cars and less pollution? Surely the horses stand to be breathing in pollution wherever they are?
oxfordbuddy
says...
5:14pm Wed 21 Dec 11
Horses are indeed working animals but the Animal Aid nutters obviously think they are cuddly wuddly little creatures who should simply sit by the fireside and eat their hay. If they really want to investigate cruelty to horses I suggest they start with the local BHS and Pony Club. I was involved with that for a bit and my goodness do you see some mistreatment and neglect (a broom broken on a horse's back when it wouldn't go in a horsebox, beatings with whips, a saddle thrown at a horse by a small child etc ad nauseam) but of course it's all hidden on country estates and in stable yards so very few people know about it. I think this is Oxford's loss and what about us people suffering from pollution!!
museli
says...
5:46pm Wed 21 Dec 11
If you have inside info about animal abuse within the Pony Club and BHS why don't you pass this on to Animal Aid or the RSPCA. Describing such mistreatment then saying organisations that try and stop it are 'nutters' isn't very consistent.
Obviously many domesticated animals like dogs and horses enjoy activity and companionship with trusted humans. The question is when does this become abuse and exploitation and I agree with our council that this proposal crossed that line.
Why on earth do you and Joe suggest horses on busy city streets would reduce pollution? Anything that causes further congestion is obviously going to increase traffic pollution and horses stuck in that pollution will have to breath it in same as us cyclists.
Dilligaf2010
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7:19pm Wed 21 Dec 11
museli
says...
8:09pm Wed 21 Dec 11
Cobbles and setts are not a good surface for man or beast to walk on and are really, really slippery after rain. I can imagine how well metal horse shoes grip them!
Dilligaf2010
says...
9:17pm Wed 21 Dec 11
museli wrote:Strange, metal horseshoes were around for many many years before Tarmac, and I think ice also gets a little slippery, and dogs, reindeer, horses, and other animals pull sleds on that surface.
... and did you also wonder why most cobbled streets were upgraded to Tarmac?
Cobbles and setts are not a good surface for man or beast to walk on and are really, really slippery after rain. I can imagine how well metal horse shoes grip them!
I think road surfaces were upgraded to Tarmac because it was invented, roads went further than the edges of towns & cities, and were used by motor vehicles as much as horses.
Not all horses live on lush green pastures, some actually live on rough undulating surfaces, and those that are wild, don't even have horseshoes to protect their hooves, and I've read any news articles entitled "horse slips on wet surface".
As I've said before, I love all animals, but horses, lovely as they are, are not cute furry animals to cuddle up to on the sofa, they are working animals, and obviously if they are being used as such, are very likely to be better cared for than those that spend their days chewing grass and looking forlorn in a field somewhere.
museli
says...
9:11am Thu 22 Dec 11
The term 'working animal' is as vague as the term 'working man' would be if that man had no freedom of choice or ability to communicate. It's not even a useful description - certainly not a good excuse to exploit an animal. Some humans used to use similar terminology for certain 'classes' and races of people as a justification to exploit (still do in some parts of the world).
As I said above domesticated animals often seem to enjoy activity in the company of people. I think the horse riders I regularly see up Shotover are just sharing exercise and enjoyment with their horses and that's great.
Traditionally though a 'working animal' often lived a short and unpleasant life which was the equivalent of slavery for humans. In some industries - horse racing and circuses for instance - things haven't improved much.
To my limited knowledge domesticated horses are perfectly happy not to 'work' and while they are a bit big for sofas they often like a bit of petting and physical contact from trusted humans just the same as furry animals like domesticated dogs and cats.
King Joke
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1:15pm Fri 23 Dec 11
Re working horses: conditions used to be terrible for them but we live in more enlightened times and people are much more ready to report mistreatment. THe commercial pressures on this operation - charging rich tourists an arm and a leg for a one-mile circuit - will be much lower than it would have been for, let's say, a coal merchant in depression-hit 1930s. THere will be enough money to keep the animals looked after I'm sure and I personally look forward to seeing them trotting around.
Dilligaf2010 says...
11:52am Wed 21 Dec 11
This man should be awarded a knighthood.
I love all animals, always have, and I'd rather see some well cared for, healthy horses, pulling carriages around the streets of Oxford, being given love and attention by members of the public, than just left in a field with hardly any human contact, often abandoned.
I used to see Shire Horses, pulling the Wadworth Brewery's Dray around the streets of Devizes, regularly, and the were treated with respect by everybody, all motorists gave them extra space, and everybody loved them.
The sensible thing to do in Oxford, or anywhere, would be to permit a trial, with regular veterinary checks on the horses, perhaps even fit them with CO² meters, before bowing to the whims of those against the idea.
Horses are working animals, they're not domestic pets, are the council now going to ban cats & dogs from the City?