Main problems: no water, no shade, no adequate equipment, long hours under the blazing sun and humidity (heat index up to 115°F in the summer, pull weight bigger than their own, inadequate resting place, no City regulations regarding their wellbeing.

This is a cause where we have made very, very slow progress. It is incredibly frustrating because we cannot take immediate action, as we can do with an abandoned dog or cat. These are animals that have owners, who make good money by exploiting them but chose not to invest in their wellbeing. It might be easier if the problem were the owner economics, because then we could get help for them. The obstacles to help these animals have been their owners, and the fact that the local Government has yet to realize the importance of regulating not only where they park, but also the working conditions of the horses and their health.

Because we are a small group with limited resources, we have focused on dogs and cats mainly. But over the last 3 years we have made some serious efforts to help the situation of the horses, from initiating dialogue with the owners, to presenting a formal petition to the local and State governments to stop their permits, after dialogue was fruitless and a horse dropped dead on the street, passengers on board and all.  Our petition was heard and the carriage rides were stopped, but only for a couple of weeks.

Since July 2007, we chose a different approach: we printed colorful posters with photographs that show the reality of the living and working conditions of these animals. A number of store owners on the waterfront joined the protest by having these on their windows. These have actually been eye openers for a lot of visitors who would have otherwise found the idea of a ride colorful and romantic. Unfortunately many still do pay for the rides but many don´t, therefore it has also opened the eyes of the horse owners to a certain extent. We have seen that the horses are not as bad as they used to be –with evident bleeding sores-, although there is a long way to go.

We are convinced that if the tourists are better informed about the conditions of the horses, they will demand better care. At this point, we want to push for three basic steps towards improvement: SHADE, WATER AND PROPER SHOES. Other issues that need to be attended are their working hours, medical records, adequate stalls and others.

Most of the carriage-horse users are cruise-ship travelers, so we have sent letters to the cruise lines trying to let them know that these animals are a concern for many, and that they should inform their passengers about the situation.

If you consider taking a ride, please ask the driver when was the last time the horse was given water, how many hours has it worked, when did he get the sweat brushed off so he can evaporate the heat, how much weight is it carrying and how much does it weigh.