Collapsed Horse Tied Up, Dragged, and Hoisted on Forklift (Warning: Disturbing Images)
Like all horses who are forced to pull carriages, Jerry has to work in all weather extremes, including the scorching summers and the bitter winters of Salt Lake City. He hauls tourists through the busy, congested downtown streets, inhaling fumes and competing for road space with honking cars. Last weekend, while pulling tourists, he apparently succumbed to the 98-degree heat and collapsed. The heat radiating off the black asphalt on which he was pulling a carriage would have been far, far hotter than 98 degrees.
Jerry was too weak to stand, so his handlers tied ropes around his body and dragged him into a trailer.
They drove him to the stable, but he was still too weak to stand, so his handlers put straps around his limp body and hoisted him into the barn with a forklift.
Jerry’s owners said that he collapsed because he suffers from colic. We are doubtful and suspect heat exhaustion, although colic can be brought on or exacerbated by heat, dehydration, and stress—three factors that essentially define daily life for horses who are forced to pull carriages.
What You Can Do
PETA is once again calling on Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker to prevent tragedies like this one and support efforts to ban horse-drawn carriages on city streets. More regulations on this practice won’t solve the problem. Regulations can’t reshape Salt Lake City’s densely urban environment, and they can’t change the fact that horses are extremely sensitive to loud noises. Contact Mayor Becker and let him know that you oppose forcing horses to pull carriages.
Please support PETA’s ‘Free the Horses’ campaign! We are aiming to raise $40,000 to expose the ugly truth about horse drawn carriages. We have until September 24. All we need is you!
