carriage companies

Local Carriage Companies Raise $2,000 For Horses…While Protestors Held Up Signs

Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works/ Facebook

This past Saturday on August 5, three carriage companies downtown came together to help raise money to donate to abused and retired horses. $1 from every ticket sale on Saturday was donated to to local foundations, H.O.P.E Acres Rescue and LEARN Horse Rescue. Palmetto Carriage Works, Charleston Carriage Works and Old South Carriage Company raised a total of $2,000 dollars on Saturday for a great cause.

Both H.O.P.E Acres Rescue and LEARN Horse Rescue take in horses to ensure they are rehabilitated and adopted by a qualified family. Their goal is also to provide education to the community about responsible animal practices to prevent mistreatment of animals.

Carriage companies are very conscientious about the health of their stable animals. Image Credit: Tripadvisor

Along with the donation of money, Charleston’s carriage companies also allowed visitors and locals to tour the barns over the weekend. Employees walked people through to show them just how well the horses are taken care of and treated. They provided a Q&A to inform the public about their practices as well.

On contrary, there were around 55 protestors that came out to hold signs that went against the carriage company’s goals for the day. The people protesting were part of Charleston Carriage Horse Advocates that disagree with the carriage tours and believe these horses are provided inadequate working conditions.

And that right there is the difference between the carriage companies in Charleston and the activists who say they have the horses best interest at heart. The kind folks who truly care about the well-being of horses and previously abused horses raised money to actually help them. What good does carrying signs around and shouting do for the horses? Zero. Zilch. Nada. None!

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Three Carriage Companies To Host Open House Amidst Marching Protestors

Featured Image Credit: Jonathan Boncek/Charleston City Paper

Things are about to get pretty interesting this Saturday in the City Market area. Animal-rights activists will be marching for Charleston’s carriage horses, calling for “more humane treatment.” The march will start at 11 a.m. at the U.S. Custom House on East Bay and Market Street and will proceed onto North Market and South Market street.

But here’s the kicker: three carriage companies are standing up to these activists and inviting anyone and everyone into their stables at the same time as the march to see just how well they treat their animals. The open houses will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m on Saturday, August 5 so people can see the behind the scenes of the carriage-tour industry and just how well the animals are looked after. And to prove once and for all these activist claims of inhumane treatment are completely false and unfounded.

Old South Carriage Company, Palmetto Carriage Works and Charleston Carriage Works will all raise money for H.O.P.E Acres Rescue, a certified 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization located in Summerville whose mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and provide a safe haven for equines in need, to live out a healthy, happy, and peaceful life through public education, county and state alliances, adoptions, donations and caring volunteers. Each carriage company will donate $1 from each carriage-tour ticket on Saturday to H.O.P.E Acres Rescue.

The overall health and wellbeing of carriage horses has been a huge topic of debate in Charleston and carriage companies are working hard to show how much they care for their animals. By hosting community outreach programs where customers are able to interact with the horses and see their living conditions first hand, the companies hope it will expose their true humane practices. Their goal for the event Saturday is to educate others and support the real needs of horses who have suffered abuse.

Image Credit: Facebook/ Palmetto Carriage Works

A lot more good can be done by donating to organizations like H.O.P.E Acres Rescue instead of marching and protesting up and down streets. It is important that people look into all the facts of the carriage rides and don’t get caught up in the far-fetched views of animal-activists. The best way to educate yourself on the topic would be to go down to the carriage company barns and see the horses and the way they are treated for yourself. You’ll even get a glimpse into the everyday routine of the massive four-legged friends.

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Carriage Companies Voluntarily Keep Horses Out Of The Lowcountry Summer Heat

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CVB

You might have noticed that the summer heat is here in the city of Charleston, and the local carriage companies are taking extra precautions in making sure that their animals are safe in the sweltering summer sun.

Horse carriages were ordered to return to their barns due to the hot temperatures in the Lowcountry on July 5th. The hot afternoon heat peaked around 2:40 p.m. and exceeded the heat limit for horse carriage operation in Charleston at 95 degrees. By 4 p.m. later that afternoon, the temperatures dropped below the 95 degree limit. However, carriage company operators voluntarily chose to keep the horses off the streets for the rest of the day.

Carriage companies are very conscientious about the health of their stable animals.Image Credit: Tripadvisor

This decision received much media attention as the carriage industries in Charleston have been under fire for the treatment of their animals. Many extreme animal activists have caused more harm than good to the animals of the carriage industry. Just a few months ago, a woman dressed in a T-rex costume intentionally spooked a horse, putting the customers and the driver in danger.

Many assumptions are made about the horses and the carriage ride business, but these animals are actually very well taken care of. Palmetto Carriage Works, one of the carriage companies in downtown Charleston, takes the temperature of their horses after every ride and have daily morning safety meetings to ensure that everything is in order for the day. The horses are also guaranteed plenty of rest and take months at a time off at their farm.

The city of Charleston has recently made a few changes to the carriage tour business regulations to ensure the best safety for the animals. They lowered the heat limit for horse carriage operations from 98 to 95 degrees along with lowering the heat index from 125 to 110 degrees.

Image Credit: Tripadvisor

The carriage industry operators know the needs and safety precautions of their animals more than anyone. The animals work side by side with the employees everyday and have become a part of their family. None of those workers want to put them in harm’s way. The importance of the animal’s safety to the carriage industries was proven on July 5th after they were given permission to start tours again, but they decided against it. They put the safety of their animals first, as always.

Animal activists have hyped up a mistreatment of horses that is simply nonexistent. The city of Charleston does a great job of caring for its animals and hold the carriage industry to extremely high standards. So next time you see a carriage tour riding down the streets of Charleston, you can be confident that they are in the best care. Maybe you can even hop on for a ride yourself!