A ban on horse carriages on the streets of Salt Lake City is being called for after a favorite carriage horse collapsed and later died of colic last week.
Questioning horse drawn carriages on city streets
A ban on horse carriages on the streets of Salt Lake City is being called for after a favorite carriage horse collapsed and later died of colic last week.
Blaine Overson, Jerry’s owner, confirmed the 13-year-old horse died on Friday, about a week after he collapsed while pulling a carriage in downtown Salt Lake City.
The revelation prompted the Utah Animal Rights Coalition to call for a vigil for Jerry.
Those attending the vigil also attended the Salt Lake City Council meeting to offer a petition calling for a complete ban on horse carriages on the streets of Salt Lake City.
In calling for the ban, UARC contends that, "Horses forced to pull carriages in Salt Lake City are overworked in miserable weather extremes, subjected to the dangers of congested traffic, and forced to walk on hard asphalt for several hours each day."
Such "dangerous conditions are inherent to the use of horse-drawn carriages in an urban environment," the group maintains, adding that "no amount of regulation can protect the public from the danger of horses bolting when they become frightened."
A passer-by’s video of Jerry’s struggle to stand back up caught widespread attention, prompting calls from animal-rights advocates for new city laws to address practices surrounding carriage horses.
The called-for ban in Salt Lake City echoes previous calls in other areas where horse drawn carriages have been popular near large parks and on tree-lined streets.