New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is pushing a bill that will ban horse-drawn carriages from that city鈥檚 streets. Victoria isn鈥檛 New York 鈥� let the horses stay.
Victoria city council is periodically asked to prohibit horses and carriages from using the city鈥檚 downtown streets. One group says it has gathered thousands of signatures in recent years on a petition calling for a ban on horse-drawn carriages. The group鈥檚 members are concerned about safety and the welfare of the horses.
Certainly, safety should be an issue, and both drivers and horses should be trained well to ensure accidents don鈥檛 happen. And for well-fed horses, cherished and valued by their owners, pulling a carriage is no burden.
Carriage tours allow Victoria鈥檚 visitors to get a glimpse of earlier, simpler days. Granted, it鈥檚 a glimpse through the rose-coloured glasses of nostalgia, because when horsepower dominated, conditions were far from perfect. In the 19th century, urban horses were often neglected and abused. Their manure clogged the streets, creating nasty muck in wet weather and choking dust in dry weather.
In New York City, where the carriage ban is being considered, horse traffic and all its problems created massive headaches for authorities that were relieved only with the advent of motorized transport.
Today, though, horsepower provides visitors an opportunity for a leisurely look at historic Victoria. Given proper safeguards and procedures, there鈥檚 no need to deprive them of that.
