Proposal: 

  1. A complete dissolution of new carriage permit approvals, effective immediately. 2. An immediate phase-out of existing carriages into Spring ’25, resulting in a full and permanent ban of horse-drawn carriages in Savannah.

Main points: 

  • Support for the ban: Incumbents Palumbo, Leggett, Purtee, and Wilder-Bryan, as well as ten city council candidates in the 2023 election, have expressed support for the ban. All District 2 council candidates also back the ban. The public is behind the cause with over 141,000 main petition signatures, and an additional petition with 1,300 signatures from tourists, residents, and students. The Ban Horse Carriages Savannah Facebook group has over 400 members, and numerous video testimonials and business endorsements demonstrate support. Horse sanctuaries also support the ban.
  • There are many health and well-being concerns for the horses such as hoof health, pollution, noise, and weather conditions backed by vets such as those from the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association who have endorsed our cause personally. The horses are also denied their natural environments and behaviors for an inessential business. We have collected signed endorsements for a ban from multiple concerned veterinarians.
  • Accidents: Carriages in cities are dangerous, and an accident can occur for the simplest of reasons. Savannah has had very dangerous accidents for simple reasons such as 2019’s accident where a horse was spooked by a tree limb falling resulting in several injuries and 7 people being brutally pinned under the carriage and hospitalized. Common arguments against a ban: 
  • The horses are well cared for and happy: Breeding or purchasing a horse solely to subject them to a life devoid of their natural surroundings/behaviors, and then forcing them to work in objectively risky conditions complete with congested traffic and stressful urban noise for a non-essential business, lacks all common sense and bare minimum compassion. Even with good veterinary care, this practice remains problematic at its core. Research shows that “Caregivers are extremely poor at recognizing fear and anxiety in horses.” Carriage operators have profit to gain by portraying the horses as happy and content at all times, so their input in this area should be heavily scrutinized. A decent checkup from a vet in a stall does not guarantee the horses’ comfort and emotional well-being on the streets, which is evident in their observed body language.
  • The horses were bred for this/need work: While carriage horses undeniably are capable of pulling substantial weight, this does not align with their well-being. They were bred to work in rural environments, away from hazardous city conditions. Their capability of performing an activity says absolutely nothing about the ethics of forcing them to do so. Veterinary research completely disproves the notion that horses are safe, healthy, or happy in a city environment. It is also believed horses need mental and physical stimulation, not “work” that benefits humans. Without improving focus a horse is just learning a pattern of movement, which has limited advantages.
  • What happens to the horses without the carriages?: We have reputable sanctuaries interested in giving the carriage horses new homes, complete with all-day pasture access and no carriages to haul. All we need is city cooperation. ● It is a historical, romantic tradition: Should something continue only because it is a tradition? Can you think of other practices throughout history that should not have continued for tradition’s sake? This argument cannot be applied consistently, so it is not worth making. Our trolley and vintage car tours evoke the same feeling of history and romance without the harm. We love traditions and history like anyone else, but they should never be a shield to perpetuate what is clearly wrong.

Arguments in favor of a ban that cannot be solved with stricter ordinances: 

  • City conditions are hazardous to the horses: No modification to the ordinance would prevent unpredictable city noise that causes horses to be spooked and lead to inevitable future accidents. “When exposed to noisy events, horses can show intense escape attempts, which may cause severe accidents for the horse and the rider/handler”. It would also not solve the issue of the health hazards to the horses such as breathing in city pollution due to their positioning on the roads and the painful hoof issues caused by walking all day on asphalt. Their hooves are designed for walking on softer ground and this can cause serious discomfort due to the lack of shock absorption on a hard surface, no matter how well they’re groomed.
  • Savannah’s negative reputation amongst the public: Countless tourists have expressed disgust at seeing the carriage horses. We have almost 150k petition signatures (across different formats) from the public supporting a carriage ban. The accidents have given our city international negative news coverage. A stricter ordinance is incapable of resolving this issue. There is a huge growing population of individuals who want no part in animals exploited for entertainment. Savannah looks naive, uncompassionate, and behind the times to these responsible tourists.
  • Traffic delays: A stricter ordinance would not prevent the carriages from constantly slowing down city traffic that is already cramped due to Savannah’s historic streets.
  • Horses denied their natural environments and behaviors: A stricter ordinance would not solve the fact that carriage horses are completely denied their autonomy, natural behaviors, and natural environment. They belong in rural environments.

Extended Research 

Responsible Tourism trends and public demand for animal-free entertainment: 

  • Responsible Tourism Partnership: https://responsibletourismpartnership.org/
  • Dr. Clare Weeden (a tourism and marketing researcher from the University of Brighton specializing in Responsible Tourism trends) Responsible Tourism growth analysis:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18eLJplP6deWrIRwZGQ7h-KOI7geqF4bA/view?usp=drive_link

  • Dr. Clare Weeden carriage ban support:

https://generocity.org/philly/2020/05/14/opinion-now-is-the-time-to-think-about-the-future-of-phillys-tourism-without-horse-dr awn-carriages/

  • Thoman Jefferson University’s prediction of carriages becoming obsolete due to increased public animal welfare education: ● Ringling Brothers Circus goes animal-free due to public demand:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/ringling-circus-is-back-but-this-time-without-animals ● SeaWorld loses money after public awareness of animal welfare issues:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2971294/The-Blackfish-effect-SeaWorld-loses-25-4-million-documentary-criticizing company-s-treatment-killer-whales-lowers-park-attendance.html

  • Responsible Tourism: “85% of respondents interviewed believe travel companies should avoid activities that involve wild animals suffering”: https://responsibletourismpartnership.org/tag/animal-welfare/
  • Responsible Tourism: “shows that more than 80% of tourists would prefer to see animals in their natural environment, proving animal-friendly tourism is on the rise.”: https://salesfuel.com/young-consumers-prefer-ethical-wildlife-tourism/ ● Millennial and Gen Z tourists (18-35) are more likely than any other group to care about animal welfare issues: https://salesfuel.com/young-consumers-prefer-ethical-wildlife-tourism/
  • Millennials and Gen Z are the demographics that travel the most:

https://www.statista.com/chart/30498/gen-zers-and-millennials-travel-more-for-leisure-in-america/

  • Young people are increasingly rejecting inhumane animal activities:

https://www.earth.com/news/rejecting-inhumane-animal-activities/

  • Thomas Jefferson University’s strategic leadership and complex systems leadership programs did a comprehensive study on horse-drawn carriages which led them to the conclusion that as awareness of the animal welfare problems of carriages grows, demand for them will decrease, rendering the business model unprofitable and unsustainable: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SoxU5h_Ak1HiF4koU9koUIYqx0uDjL6f/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=106857495535 063395828&rtpof=true&sd=true

Health, Safety, and Well-Being Research: 

Issues with caregivers/business owners claiming with certainty that the horses are healthy and happy: 

  • Horse and Hound: “As a fight or flight animal, the horse may be willing to go further than a human athlete in terms of combating fatigue. This is because during hard exercise a horse’s adrenalin level is around 10 times higher than our own. Adrenaline can help mask pain and allow a horse to push itself harder than may be beneficial to its welfare.” (https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/the-signs-of-equine-fatigue-294522)
  • Good Horse: “even experienced horsemen and women cannot judge mental state accurately. To learn to read horses correctly is not simply a matter of experience but also careful intellectual study – because most of a horse’s signals are simply not tuned for a human to pick up. They are intended for other horses and are not intuitive for us.”

(https://good-horse.com/behaviour-cognition/licking-chewing/#:~:text=Stress%20Response&text=In%20both%20species% 2C%20the%20animal,a%20clear%20sign%20of%20stress.)

  • National Library of Medicine: “Previous studies have identified that people are poor at recognizing fear and pain in horses, consequently leading to one of the key welfare concerns for horses”

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9658478/)

  • National Library of Medicine: “When asked how well horse caregivers recognize fear and/or anxiety in horses, three key response themes emerged: caregivers are extremely poor at recognizing fear and anxiety in horses; some clients do recognize behavioral signs indicating fear and/or anxiety but only the overt signs (e.g., rearing, running away) rather than the more subtle signs (e.g., tension in face, subtle avoidance behaviors such as a hesitant gait); and fear and/or anxiety behavior is often misinterpreted or mislabelled.” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9658478/)
  • National Library of Medicine: “This work builds on previous work [11,13,17] that identified an inability to correctly interpret ‘stress behaviors’ in horses. This affects horse welfare because if caregivers do not identify when horses are

fearful, anxious or ‘stressed’ they are likely to continue interacting, handling and training horses in a way that causes those negative affective states, and consequently cause behaviors that could be dangerous, as well as compromise horse welfare. The hypothesis that behaviourists were likely to report that many horse caregivers are unable to correctly identify fear and/or anxiety behaviors in horses was proven to be correct.” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9658478/)

  • Horses are likely to hide their discomfort from caregivers due to their prey nature: 

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7931104/) National Library of Medicine

○ “patients in their study showed a reduced incidence of certain pain behaviors (e.g., restlessness, weight shifting) when observed directly, even when caretakers viewed from a distance, compared to remotely by video”

○ “patients displayed a mean reduction of over 75% in the number of discomfort behaviors per minute when caretakers were present, and 30% of those patients stopped performing discomfort behaviors altogether during the caretaker visit.”

○ “Regardless of how well-trained a caretaker may be in behavior observation, if discomfort behavior is interrupted by their presence, information regarding the horse’s condition is lost.”

Claims horses “need a job”: 

  • Responding to the notion that horses “need a job”, horse trainer Ross Jacobs states:.

○ But do horses need a purpose? A job? I don’t think so. They have a job just being a horse. The most common source I’ve heard is from horsemen whose background or interest is in American ranching. So many I have come across seem to love the idea of giving a horse a job. Usually, it refers to getting a horse to work cattle or maybe work other horses.There is nothing wrong with asking a horse to move a cow or work another horse. But if people believe a horse needs a purpose and that’s why they need a job, they’re wrong.

○ “Without improving focus a horse is just learning a pattern of movement, which has limited advantages.” https://www.goodhorsemanship.com.au/blog-posts/does-a-horse-need-a-job

  • “Horses don’t “need a job” but they often need something. What is it that they really need? Horses need enrichment – aka, horses need lives. I believe that the behaviors people use as proof of horses “needing a job” are actually signs of boredom – often chronic boredom. However, there is one need I think we tend to forget about: need for stimulation. True stimulation. This includes exploration, play, enrichment, fun, change – basically what we would consider “having a life”…. I think the confusion comes in because we believe “having a job” is the same thing as “having a life” and that “work” satisfies the need for “play” in a horses life – but it doesn’t. While hard work may calm the symptoms of chronic boredom through exhaustion, work where the horse is being told what to do and how to do it does not fulfill their need for exploration, enrichment, nor true stimulation.”

○ https://www.libertyhorsemanship.com/blog/do-horses-need-a-job#:~:text=Horses%20don%E2%80%99t%20%E2% 80%9Cneed%20a%20job%E2%80%9D%20but%20they%20often%20need%20something.%20What%20is%20it% 20that%20they%20really%20need%3F%0AHorses%20need%20enrichment%20%E2%80%93%20aka%2C%20ho rses%20need%20lives.%0AI%20%20believe%20that%20the%20behaviors%20people%20use%20as

  • “Horses are animals that have been domesticated by humans and because of this we have bred them to do our bidding. But we should not forget that they are still wild animals with their own wants and needs. Some horses just want to be horses and not work animals all the time. They just want to do what they were born to do – run free in open spaces and live in herds with other horses.” https://vocal.media/petlife/does-your-horse-really-need-a-job
  • “To help keep your horse active, you can offer a variety of toys like jolly balls, treat toys, and agility equipment.” https://equispa.com/2019/07/31/the-best-horse-habitat/

Observed concerning body language in Savannah carriage horses: (See video): 

These behaviors are noticed constantly by the public 

Scholarly videos sourced by the National Library of Medicine’s published Equine Discomfort Ethogram Published by Equine Vet Catherine Torcivia and Animal Behaviorist Sue McDonnell, PhD

Subgroup: The National Center for Biotechnology Information

(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7931104/)

Video research screenshots on non-nutritive lip licking sourced by Equine Behaviorist Justine Harrison: (https://www.equinebehaviourist.co.uk/blog/2020/4/21/licking-and-chewing-behaviour-in-horses)

And HorseTalk based on study by quine scientists from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences:

(https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2018/10/08/licking-chewing-sign-submission-stress/#:~:text=The%20researchers%20also%20investiga ted%20whether,behaviours%20after%20chewing%20were%20relaxed.)

Bit tugging info screenshots: https://opencanter.com/horse-rooting-at-the-bit/

Bit tugging demo: https://youtu.be/5DlNyyTw-1M?si=TncPffIvTvkj7Tti

  • Excessive weight shifting and stepping in place: 

○ Horses will shift their weight at an excessive rate when they are uncomfortable and their feet hurt. 

■ The ethogram of equine discomfort cited excessive weight shifting and stepping in place as a sign of frustration/discomfort. (National Library of Medicine’s published Equine Discomfort Ethogram:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7931104/)

■ This is often a warning sign of an irreversible disease called Laminitis caused by “excessive work on hard surfaces (road founder)” (UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Center for Equine Health)

■ Clinical signs of laminitis: “When standing, they may shift their weight from one hoof to another” (UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Center for Equine Health)

■ For acute laminitis that is not yet visible, observation is used for diagnosis, including observing

constant weight shifting. (UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Center for Equine Health)

■ Repeated flexing of a limb, briefly relieving weight-bearing on that limb. The toe may touch or be held slightly above the substrate for up to several seconds, before the hoof is lightly placed down again.

Stepping often occurs in a series of several rhythmic steps at about 1 s intervals, with a pause between series. (Video S21 https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4540099)

  • Non-Nutritive licking and chewing: 

○ Justine Harrison an Equine Behaviorist stated: “The researchers also investigated whether non-nutritive chewing occurred between tense and relaxed situations. When observing the horses’ behavioural sequences, they found that the majority of the behaviours before chewing were tense and the majority of behaviours after chewing were relaxed. The chewing behaviour occurred when the horses transitioned from a tense to a relaxed state. The researchers concluded that chewing could be associated with a switch from a dry mouth caused by stress (sympathetic arousal) to salivation associated with relaxation”

(https://www.equinebehaviourist.co.uk/blog/2020/4/21/licking-and-chewing-behaviour-in-horses)

○ Justine Harrison an Equine Behaviorist stated: ”licking and chewing likely occurs after a stressful situation and may be used as a behavioural indicator that the previous situation was perceived as stressful by the horse.” 

(https://www.equinebehaviourist.co.uk/blog/2020/4/21/licking-and-chewing-behaviour-in-horses)

○ This behavior is sometimes linked to stress or boredom

○ “the animal will lick its lips quickly and repetitively, occasionally seeming to chew or swallow. The behaviour will often follow the handler attempting to elicit a particular response from the animal. These behaviours are a clear sign of stress” 

(https://good-horse.com/behaviour-cognition/licking-chewing/#:~:text=Stress%20response Text=In%20 both%20 species%2C%20the%20animal,a%20clear%20sign%20of%20stress.)

○ “Another reason horses lick and chew is when their fight or flight response is relieved. Sue McDonell, PhD provides the analogy of seeing a cop with its lights on behind you. When you pull off the road and see the cop pass you, instead of pulling you over, you sigh in relief. That is the reaction horses give in relation to their fight or flight response. When the pressure is taken off the horse, such as the cop car passing, the horse sighs in relief by performing the automatic displacement behavior of licking and chewing.”

(https://www.horsenation.com/2022/11/07/mythbuster-monday-when-horses-lick-and-chew-theyre-digesting-what-t heyre-learning/)

  • Nose tossing/ Head bobbing: 

○ For the nose tossing section of the provided video, the horse tossed their nose 4 times prior to the video. Only one nose toss was able to be captured on video

The ethogram of equine discomfort cited nose tossing and head bobbing (different behaviors) as a sign of frustration/discomfort. (National Library of Medicine’s published Equine Discomfort Ethogram:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7931104/)

○ “head tossing or leg pawing…agreed to indicate acute frustration”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159122002787

○ Horse and Hound cited “Increased head and neck movement” as a sign of fatigue to look out for” (https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/the-signs-of-equine-fatigue-294522)

  • Rooting/Tugging at the bit: https://opencanter.com/horse-rooting-at-the-bit/

○ “In most cases, two main things cause this habit: pain/discomfort or rider error. Rooting at the bit is particularly frustrating when you’re trying to work your horse in the arena and/or ride with contact. It can be a tough one to figure out, but it’s not impossible to fix.”

○ Rooting at the bit is usually an evasion tactic for horses who want to get out of doing work. As soon as any horse succeeds just a few times, they’ve learned how to get what they want. This is when it becomes a habit and often requires a more experienced rider to break.

○ Why do these horses so badly want to get out of work, though? This is where it gets a little deeper. It could be that the horse is lazy and has simply chosen this method to try and do as little as possible. Some horses are indeed a little cheeky and naughty like this, but it’s often more than simple disobedience.

Health and well-being concerns for carriage horses in Savannah: 

  • Laminitis and other hoof-related pain: 

○ Asphalt can be painful for horses’ hooves ResearchGate:

(https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347421330_Impact_of_Horse_Hoof_Wall_with_Different_Solid_Surfaces )

○ Dr. Christina Vittoria: “Unfortunately, the repetitive pounding of the hoof into the hard ground can do damage over time. If a horse is trotting on the pavement, they can get laminitis or inflammation in the hoof that can cause separation of the hoof from the bone.”

(https://www.readingeagle.com/2016/08/03/horse-doctor-are-paved-roads-hard-on-horses-feet/)

○ Wehorse: “Regular loading and unloading of the hooves is essential for good blood circulation in the horse’s hooves. Too much strain leads to a circulatory disorder, which can cause the hoof dermis to become inflamed. This can be caused by long periods of walking or standing on stony or hard ground, such as asphalt. If your horse rests one leg due to lameness, his weight will be placed more on the other three legs, which can lead to severe strain. This overload can also trigger stress laminitis. In addition, incorrect processing of the hooves, which results in unphysiological stress, can also lead to stress.” “Laminitis symptoms at the early stage: Alternating lifting and lowering of the affected hooves” (recall body language video) 

(https://www.wehorse.com/en/blog/laminitis-in-horses/#:~:text=This%20can%20be%20caused%20by,can%20also %20trigger%20stress%20laminitis.)

○ Vetericyn: “Causes of Laminitis in Horses: Overworking – Also known as road founder, hooves can be overstressed when a horse runs too long or is worked too hard, especially on a hard surface like pavement. Improper hoof trimming can also cause road founder” (https://vetericyn.com/blog/laminitis-in-horses/)

○ “Repetitive trauma, such as road founder, is also a cause of laminitis. In cases like this, a single incident can be the culprit, or it can develop over time from the repetition of work. Hard surfaces are often involved” (https://icehorse.com/blogs/news/the-types-of-laminitis#:~:text=Repetitive%20trauma%2C%20such%20as%20roa d,Hard%20surfaces%20are%20often%20involved)

  • Frustration due to inability for the horse to achieve physical goals: 

○ Horses denied their autonomy to do what they would like to do can lead to lasting frustration which we can observe. A report from Science Direct states “Within the domestic setting, the actions of the horse will often not significantly influence the achievement of their goal, for example access to social interactions or to basic provisions (such as food and shelter), despite an ethological drive towards them; therefore, increasing the chances of the horse feeling thwarted in their aim.” (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159122002787). This means that when a horse has an unfulfilled goal, this leads to frustration.

  • Weather concerns: 

○ Average humidity in Savannah by month: 

■ January: 70% 

■ February: 67% 

■ March: 67% 

■ April: 66% 

■ May: 71% 

■ June: 74 

■ July: 76% 

■ August: 79% 

■ September: 78% 

■ October: 73% 

■ November: 72% 

■ December: 71% 

○ Research shows that horses’ ability to cool themselves is decreased when the combined temperature + humidity is 130-150. Above 150, their ability to cool themselves is “greatly reduced” (University of Minnesota: https://extension.umn.edu/horse-care-and-management/caring-horses-during-hot-weather)

○ Lydia Gray, DVM (doctor of veterinary medicine): “horses, like humans, cool their bodies primarily through the evaporation of sweat. However, if the air is already high in moisture — like it is when the humidity level is high – then this process doesn’t work very well.” “the rule” is if you add the temperature to the humidity and it’s above 150, you should think twice about exercising during that time”

(https://www.horseillustrated.com/is-it-too-hot-to-ride-your-horse)

○ “Normal cooling is almost ineffectual with a heat index of 180 or greater, and therefore, riding is a no go. A heat index greater than 150 also requires exercising caution; watch for signs of heat stress in your equine, and you should still hold off on that ride.” (Mid South Horse Review:

https://www.midsouthhorsereview.com/keeping-your-horse-comfortable-in-extreme-heat)

In 2023, the weather failed this 150 test year-round. Failing the most in August when 17 of the 30 days that month were unsuitable for the horses to work. 

Horses belong in rural environments: 

  • Their natural environment is semi-arid grasslands, where they spend most of their time grazing and foraging. https://equispa.com/2019/07/31/the-best-horse-habitat/
  • “Horses need lots of exercise to keep them healthy. Every horse should have access to a paddock where they can exercise every day, in the company of other horses, for as long as possible.”

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/horses/environment#:~:text=When%20caring%20for%20your%20horse,th ey%20remain%20happy%20and%20healthy.

  • Ideally, we need 100 acres for our horses to roam on. This is rarely possible in the real world, but even a small property can offer your equine companion a natural environment. First and foremost, a natural living area should provide your horse with enough room to be in almost continuous motion except during rest and sleep. Horses are built to move, and in the wild will cover a total of ten to fifteen miles a day. When not able to exercise, body circulation is hindered, causing problems in the legs and feet. When a horse moves, blood from the lower legs is pumped back through the body to the heart by the hooves, tendons and muscles. In order to have strong, healthy feet and legs, therefore, a horse needs constant freedom of movement. This activity also stretches and strengthens the muscles and joints and promotes

healthy gut function, helping to cut down on the risk of impaction colic.

Creating a Natural Equine Environment

  • Research does not suggest at all that the city environment is beneficial to the horses. Instead, a more natural environment is best where they spend their day in fields, with mental stimulation and physical exercise.

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