Horse drawn carriage Melbourne: RSPCA demands answers to ‘animal cruelty’

A Melbourne tourist attraction could be reined in as authorities make moves to regulate or ban the “cruel” trade.

Horse-drawn carriages in Melbourne’s CBD.

The RSPCA made an urgent plea for information following the tragic death of a horse on an inner-city street.

This comes as Melbourne Council calls for a joint State Government forum to decide whether horse-drawn carriages become a thing of the past in the CBD.

Last month a white horse collapsed dead on a Arden St until it was covered and taken away half an hour later.

The tragedy has renewed calls to end the tourist trade that many consider to be cruel to the animals.

Melbourne Council will vote to set up a meeting with Road Safety MP Ben Carroll, the Department of Transport, Victoria Police, the RSPCA and horse-drawn carriage operators to deal with the matter.

Councillor Rohan Leppert, who will put the proposal to council tomorrow, said the situation was unsafe, and it was time to fix the problems.

“As the city revs up again after the coronavirus lockdowns, and Metro construction keeps adding more trucks to the world’s busiest tram route on Swanston St, we are looking at an increasingly dangerous mix of traffic modes,” Cr Leppert said.

“Road Rules are observed in the breach and it seems only a matter of time before we see a catastrophic injury involving trucks, trams, cyclists and a horse that has been spooked yet again.”

In council documents Mr Leppert said there was no regulation to monitor the welfare of the horses and the council had “little to no power” to prevent the animals travelling through the busy streets.

He said permits classified horses as vehicles and were under State Government authority.

The RSPCA has launched an investigation into the animal’s death and had not identified what company was involved.

RSPCA Victoria Inspectorate team leader Karen Collier said an investigation into animal cruelty had been launched and were urging any witnesses to come forward.

“The caller only saw the horse after it had collapsed and was being loaded into a vehicle and there were no identifying features given as to the identity of the carriage driver or company involved,” Ms Collier said.

“We have been unable to identify the carriage driver or the carriage business in question. “Without this crucial information our investigation is seriously impeded meaning a delay to uncovering the truth behind the death of the horse.”

Melbourne Against Horse-Drawn Carriages campaign manager Kristin Leigh said years of attempts to regulate the issue had failed.

“This is the first time anyone has taken significant steps to address this urgent issue since the ban on street-trading permits in July 2017 – a ban which has been entirely ineffective,” Ms Leigh said.

“Sadly, many horses have suffered and been injured since that time, with at least one dropping dead while pulling a carriage.

“The issues caused by using horses to pull carriages in a busy city are inherent.

“Years of attempting to regulate them have proven they simply cannot be regulated.”

In 2017 the Melbourne Council stopped issuing new permits for CBD horse carriages.

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