Mid February, Savannah, Georgia made national headlines for an incident involving a horse-drawn carriage and seven passengers. On Friday, Feb. 8, a single horse pulling a carriage of six tourists and one driver was reportedly spooked by a landscaping crew trimming a nearby tree. As a result, the horse fell, toppling over the carriage and all it’s passengers. Everyone on board received minor injuries and the horse was apparently in an extreme state of panic.
This incident sparked much concern, even garnering the attention of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. In an article they wrote in response to the accident, PETA said, “These disasters will continue to happen until we ban horse-drawn carriages.” While PETA has an understandably rigid stance on the topic, if investigative journalism has taught me anything, it’s that there are two sides, if not more, to every story.
In an attempt to understand this staple of Savannah tourism, I hit the downtown streets. I approached several drivers and their four legged sidekicks and was unfortunately met with a bit of stonewalling. Everyone I attempted to talk to was either unwilling to comment or required that I pay the fee for a carriage ride. Frustrated but understanding of their situations, I sought out the opinions of people around me.
One young woman, Kristen Geary, was very outspoken about the issue. Although a self-proclaimed person who has little to no knowledge of horses, Geary said, “It blows my mind that people see those carriages and think to themselves ‘I want to take a ride on that.’ ” In her opinion, the services provided by these carriage companies are cruel and inhumane to the horses. “When I see these horses, they look like they’re foaming from the mouths. They don’t get enough water. The cobblestones are not good for their joints. They pull too much weight; all day, every day,” Geary said.
However, another woman who I spoke with had a bit of a different mindset. Grace Chahine, a former equestrian, had a more well rounded view and of the horse-carriage industry in Savannah. “There are definitely instances of mistreatment, but generally speaking most of the people that work with the carriages really do care about their animals,” Chahine said. “Horse sweat a lot naturally, they’re big animals! They’re bread to pull farm equipment and heavy loads. They won’t take tours if they think the loads are too heavy or the weather is not conducive to the horse’s health and safe.”
After gathering the opinions of the general public, I decided to educate myself further on the matter. I researched the three most popular horse-drawn carriage companies in the city. Based on customer reviews and information provided on their websites, I have come to my own personal conclusion on which services appear to be the most ethically driven and respectful of the creatures they work with every day and which appear to be lacking.
1. Carriage Tours of Savannah:
Receiving the highest rating of four and a half stars out of five, Carriage Tours of Savannah abides by the ethical and loving treatment of their horses. Their website features an entire page dedicated to horse health facts and frequently asked questions regarding the well being of the horses. They answer each question in depth, guaranteeing every passenger knows their noble companions are well cared for. They assure that each horse works only a few days a week and on days they do work, it is only for one shift. They also have twenty-four hours access to water and on days where it is particularly warm, they frequently check the horses’ body temperatures. If they rise above a safe level, the horses are immediately hosed down with cool water and/or taken out of the working rotation.
2. Plantation Carriage Company:
Rated four point three out of five stars, Plantation Carriage Company comes in at a close second favorite in Savannah. On their website, a page titled “Animal Care” showcases an entire slideshow of images displaying their horses in action, as well as their drivers caring for and loving on the horses. It feels just like flipping through a family photo album. There is an obvious respect and love for their horses. In addition, they also have a page dedicated to explaining how they care for the animals in hot weather. Similarly to Carriage Tours of Savannah, Plantation Carriage Company monitors heart rate and body temperature. In addition, many of their horses come from hard laboring backgrounds, such as logging or Amish farm working. Pulling carriages for slow leisurely tours is essentially “a retirement plan.” Horses are frequently rotated out to ensure they each receive ample rest and relaxation between working days.
3. Historic Savannah Carriage Tours:
The carriage service at the center of this equine scandal receives a four out of five stars. Their website offers no information on health, safety or care of their horses. They do provide short biographies for each horse including names, sizes and photos. Other than that, riders are provided with no information regarding how the horses are treated on a day-to-day basis. After seeing the information provided by their competitors and candor in the treatment of the horses with these other services, it is concerning that Historic Savannah Carriage Tours does not offer the same peace of mind.
Ultimately, there are options for the ethically conscious. A romantic evening via horse and buggy is still achievable; you just need to do your research in advance. Knowing that your four-legged friends are just as happy and comfortable as you are will make the experience that much more enjoyable.
Savannah LaCroix is the Assistant Photo Editor at District. She is currently a Junior Photo Major who will graduate in 2020.
