Joelleinitaly04

I get a Newsletter from the Cat Sanctuary in Rome with other animal rights news and they are asking tourists to boycott the Rome horse and carraige rides because even though Rome has passed laws banning abuse, the drivers are ignoring them and the animals are being badly treated.

Just thought I'd pass that on

J

Maire

Thanks, Joelle--I'll skip those rides.

Statia

My sister really wanted to ride when we were in Rome a few weeks ago, mainly because she has never been on a horse and carriage ride. I refused, however, and she understood.

I wish they would just stop horse and carriage rides in all cities.

aucho53

hi guys......i am also totally against animal abuse,and if i were in rome i would boycott for sure, but would someone wanna fill me in on the situation a little more? I know this isn't an animal abuse forum but I am just curious to know a little more about what it is they are doing to these poor horses. Thanks guys!!

Worktowander

As a horsewoman, I always check out the condition of the fellas when I'm in a new city -- can't really help myself.

You can get a pretty good idea of their care by looking at their hooves, the skin around their harness, their grooming and some pretty fine points that non-horse people might not see (and would take forever to explain).

Most of the horses in most cities don't appear to be abused. But most do look as if they're treated as tools, not animals. To me, that's a sure sign that abuse is only a leg injury or high-temperature record away.

But I can say without a doubt that the best-looking bunch of commercial-carriage horses I've ever seen was in Prague. Each team I saw looked cared for, alert and knowledgeably managed (meaning not overworked or worked with an injury, well-groomed in a way that telegraphs actual husbandry, not just ribbons in the mane for the client's benefit, handlers giving random pats every now and then...)

If you're not attuned to horse husbandry, please pass the ride by. If you can truly tell a poll from a fetlock, you'll be pleased by what you see in Old Town Square in Prague. Support the folks who are doing it right. Boycott those that don't.

(Whew! Stepping off my soapbox to say I haven't paid for a carriage ride in about 10 years...just figure that's my way of giving the boys a break.)

Joelleinitaly04

Okay - more details from the newsleter from Torre Argentina--the cat sanctuary in Rome and they have other animal rights news...(I could tell you about the poor baby buffalo and you wouldn't want to eat Mozarella but I digress)

This is what it says about the horses:

"Even though the City of Rome has passed a law to eliminate abuse of carriage horse by outlawing long hours, uphill running, working in excessive tempatures etc. etc., the carraige owners ignore the law and continue to overwork and abuse their horses. We ask you to please boycott horse carriage rides when in Rome"

Joelle