Let’s Talk About That Carriage Horse Billboard On I-26

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CVB

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Charleston can stop worrying about the treatment of our carriage horses.

“Have you see the sign?” many people in Charleston have been asking one another lately. They’re talking about the billboard located on I-26 depicting a silhouette of a horse-drawn carriage with the labels “1 horse” and “17 people” placed on the matching images. On the right side of the board, a flame is depicted with “95” over it, representing 95 degrees. Along with the flame, you read “carriage horse abuse #justsayniegh”.

Recently, Charleston Carriage Works, Old South Carriage Company, and Palmetto Carriage Works voiced their opinions of the billboard. The billboard is “false and misleading” and “an embarrassment to Charleston,” says general manager of Palmetto Carriage Works, Tommy Doyle.

“On summer days here in Charleston when the temperature reaches 95 degrees or the heat index reaches 110, all of our carriage tours are halted. By stopping our tours once the temperature reaches these levels, we ensure that our animals aren’t working in conditions that could lead to overheating,” Palmetto Carriage Works writes in one of their blogs.

This isn’t just a PCW rule either. It’s a city law and it is strictly enforced.

Doyle also said, “The work our animals do in these conditions is considered light exercise for the type of animals we use. It is not near their full capacity and certainly not abuse.”

Don’t believe that either? Check out this awesome video that Palmetto Carriage Works did. It shows the employees filling in for the horses. Get ready to be surprised by the outcome.

The billboard needs to come down because it displays completely false information about Charleston carriage companies. Not only does the Charleston carriage industry care deeply about their own horses, they care about others too. For example, when local carriage companies donated $3,000 in support of L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue, they helped Spirit and Bailey, two malnourished horses in the care of L.E.A.R.N. Horse Rescue.

A recent poll conducted by Charleston C.A.R.E.S also showed that the majority of Charlestonians have an overwhelming amount of support for the carriage industry.

It doesn’t look like the billboard will come down anytime soon, even though it is ridiculous and inaccurate. In the meantime, Charleston’s carriage companies will continue to love and care for each and every horse in their possession.

Learn more from our source at https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article215937690.html.