Melbourne, Australia has just joined many other major metropolitan areas — including Chicago and Las Vegas — in banning horse-drawn carriages. This is an amazing victory for animal welfare, and must be celebrated! One of the best ways to honor Melbourne’s new ban would be to expand it to Australia’s largest city, Sydney. Currently, the city still allows the dangerous and torturous practice of horse carriage rides, but luckily, pressure is mounting to change this.
Carriage rides are most popular in densely populated, highly-toured urban areas where noises are loud and constant — and which are one of the least safe environment for horses. These animals are forced to labor on for human entertainment during sweltering and freezing temperatures alike, trodding mile after painful mile on unnatural, hard concrete. Equines evolved to live in wide, open, empty spaces — but in cities, everywhere one turns is essentially an overwhelming scene, causing horses to believe they’re under attack. This makes carriage rides in cities like Sydney torture for horses.
To make matters worse, the conditions are only getting harsher. Just last month, Sydney recorded its highest night temperatures ever. And with climate change worsening summer heat around the globe, record-breaking temperatures aren’t going to stop. Horses are already showing signs of exhaustion and heat-induced illness when carrying human passengers in summer months, so we must end this practice now before it gets even more unendurable. Sydney must do the right thing by following Melbourne’s lead. Sign the petition to demand that officials in Sydney, Australia protect animals by banning horse-drawn carriages now!