Demonstration to Help Carriage Horses in Old Sacramento

Please join Working Animal Advocates as we demonstrate to raise awareness about the inhumane, exploitative and unsafe horse-drawn carriage trade in Old Sacramento. Help us educate the public about the plight of these horses who must pull carriages in very hot temperatures, work long hours without rest, breathe in exhaust fumes all day, and risk hoof and leg injuries from pounding hard city streets.

The presence of horse-drawn carriages in urban settings like Old Sacramento puts the safety of the horses and public at serious risk. Carriage horses must navigate through traffic and contend with cars, motorcycles, bicyclists, pedestrians and companion animals that cross their paths and share limited space on the streets. In recent years, there have been two incidents in Old Sacramento in which horses were attacked and injured by dogs, including one incident that resulted in the dog being shot and killed. And in 2009, a carriage was struck by a car in a hit-and-run accident; the carriage was totaled, and the horse, carriage operator and two passengers all suffered injuries. Dozens of people and horses are injured or killed every year in carriage accidents in the U.S., and it is only a matter of time before another dangerous incident occurs in Sacramento.

Harnessed to their carriage for many hours a day with a metal bit in their mouth, a diaper tied to their rear, and blinders blocking their view, horses are deprived of natural movements and behavior just to endlessly give rides around the same few blocks to tourists. Please join us on June 1st to call attention to their plight.

For more information about the campaign to end horse-drawn carriage rides in Old Sacramento, please see our website: http://www.workinganimal.org/