Are Guadalajara's horse-drawn carriages a form of animal abuse?

10 Comments

  • J Lee - 7 years ago

    Cities must enforce bylaws as to how many hours a day, days a week, and years of its life a horse is worked....and fines large enough to deter the use of horses that are sick, lame or old. Using animals for our entertainment, whether dolphin rides, bull fights, or horse rides, is becoming less popular as other options are becoming available.

  • gil morency - 7 years ago

    as anybody asked the horses ?

  • Elyana - 7 years ago

    I have raised and trained my own horses for most of my life, so I am speaking from long experience.
    A horse need companionship... from another horse, a human, or any other creature , be it a chicken, a goat or a cat.
    And... they need a job... they have been bred to work one job or another for millenia.
    There are no "Horse Rescue" organizations in Mexico that I know of... and the average farmer, rancher or horse-drawn cabbie here cannot afford to keep an animal that doesn't pull it's own weight... so, the only alternative for that jobless horse is being sent off to the slaughterhouse and made into dog food.
    Don't forget that it is in the best interest of the cabbie to keep his partner happy and well-fed. Keeps productivity up.

  • marsha - 7 years ago

    We rode in a horse drawn carriage in Merida. The horses were well cared for and stabled by the owner who had two. altogether he said there were 26 horses used in this capacity. They stayed in shady areas along the central plaza.
    Seemed to be NO suffering on the part of the horses in Merida....who munched on hay and appeared to be robust.

  • frank shattuck - 7 years ago

    Here in Cordoba, they opened a special caged- animal zoo, to keep circus animals that had recently been working in circuses ...very sad to see them jailed and bored. The law should have stated that no MORE animals could be started, but that the ones already used to circus life could keep traveling, working, mingling--instead of this terrible CAGED existence.

  • Liz - 7 years ago

    Just disgusting to have these animals pulling fat tourist's around when walking would do them a lot more good!

  • Sudhir Amembal - 7 years ago

    One civilized city after another has had the courage and conviction to put an end to a form of" entertainment "and" amusement" that takes a very heavy toll on the poor horses. They are typically underfed and overworked.
    They are sentient and defenseless beings who feel the pain and suffering of being exploited for no rhyme or reason.

  • KC - 7 years ago

    Many Mexicans and other nationalities do not consider animas as live beings, only beasts of burden and protectors; certainly not pets or entities to be treated humanely. I'm happy to hear about this positive action and hope other places follow. It can't continue to be all about money and tourism.

  • joe - 7 years ago

    Political correctness run amok!

  • Claus Pahlke-Cruz Garcia - 7 years ago

    How can somebody believe that this is not an animal abuse? They are held like slaves in former times. They stay there without any chance of moving for hours in the heat. It is a disaster and I am happy that there will be a change.

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