There have been calls for an urgent update to the 19th century legislation that governs the horse and carriage industry in Dublin.
The Dublin Carriage Act dates back to 1853 but animal rights activists believe it is no longer fit for purpose.
Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, My Lovely Horse Rescue co-founder Martina Kenny said there are concerns about animal welfare in the industry.
“Up by Christchurch in Dublin city centre, a carriage horse collapsed and was in the middle of the street,” she said.
“The driver - a young guy - was basically trying to pull him up seemingly and a woman that was there, took a photo [and] sent it to us.
“By the time we got someone there, he was up and gone.”
Regulation
Ms Kenny said she believes the horse collapsed because of exhaustion and added that, “It’s not the first time”.
Some have called for an outright ban on the horse-drawn carriage industry but Ms Kenny believes that is not a practical proposition.
“I don’t think we need to ban every one of them,” she said.
“I know there’s a lot of people out there who say, ‘Ban them all’ but I think it has been part of Dublin city for a long, long time.
“Basically, the law for horse-drawn carriages has been there since 18[53] - which is crazy.”
Horse looking out from her stable. Picture by: Alamy.comInstead, Ms Kenny believes the industry should be “regulated properly” and Gardaí and Dublin City Council need to carry out more regular welfare checks.
“A few years ago, we got them all together, we went to the Dáil and we put a request in that there’s a by-law made that they should be the only ones that are on the street,” she said.
“They should have clear licence plates - just like a car - and have to have insurance.
“The issue there is that Dublin City Council did make a by-law in 2011 and in 2018, something happened that there was a legal [issue] with that.”
Outside of Dublin, horse-drawn carriage rides are also common in tourist towns across the country.
Main image: Horse and carriage tour in Dublin. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland.
