Death of horse on Arden St, North Melbourne, prompts calls to ban carriages

The graphic scene of a horse laying dead in a busy North Melbourne street has prompted calls for drawn carriages to be banned in the city.

A horse collapsed and died on Arden St, North Melbourne. Supplied

The death of a horse that collapsed on a busy inner-city road has renewed calls to ban horse-drawn carriages in Melbourne.

The white horse lay on Arden St in North Melbourne for more than 30 minutes, and was then covered and dragged into the back of a truck.

Three carriage hire operators who spoke to the Herald Sun denied the dead animal was theirs.

Kristin Leigh from the Melbourne Against Horse-Drawn Carriages group said the death of the horse was sadly inevitable.

“As far as we are concerned, the Lord Mayor Sally Capp and Transport Minister Ben Carroll have blood on their hands,’’ Ms Leigh said.

The council stepped away from giving permits to carriage operators when Robert Doyle was Lord Mayor in May 2017, and the carriages were forced to be stationed outside the CBD.

A horse and carriage is classified as a vehicle and can legally travel on Victorian roads.

Roads Minister Ben Carroll said he was saddened by the images of the incident.

“Should anyone witness mistreatment of the animals involved in horse-drawn carriage services, they’re encouraged to contact the RSPCA so the matter can be formally investigated,’’ Mr Carroll said.

The dead horse was later loaded into a van

Animal Justice MP Andy Meddick described the death as “truly heartbreaking’’.

“The worst part is, it was totally preventable. Carriages should have been completely banned from the city many years ago,’’ Mr Meddick said.

“It isn’t just an animal welfare issue, it’s a road safety issue too.’’

The RSPCA said it was investigating a cruelty report regarding the collapsed horse.

Victoria Police officers attended the incident to handle traffic management around the scene.

Classic Carriage Hire manager Alex MacDonald said the council needed to regulate the industry to ensure horses’ safety.

The pandemic hit the carriage hire industry hard with so few visitors in central Melbourne. Many operators stayed away for several months with the carriages slowly returning to the streets late last year.

In December 2019, confronting footage emerged of a carriage driver kicking a horse which had collapsed on a CBD street.

Onlookers filmed the driver screaming and swearing obscenities at the horse. The man was later sacked.