horse

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.

Guest Columns

A Day In The Life Of A Charleston Carriage Horse

Featured Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works

For locals and tourists, carriage tours around historic downtown Charleston are a beloved staple for the community. They provide everyone with a fun and unique way to explore one of the best cities in the world – yes, we are one of the best cities.

Most people in Charleston only see the animals as they are working, as they are patrolling the streets of downtown – but that doesn’t mean that’s all they do. Palmetto Carriage Works are big believers in an awesome work-life balance, which is why their animals get an average of 19 weeks* of vacation time. (That’s over 50% more than the six-week minimum required by the City of Charleston!)

Not only do the horses get the benefit of 133 vacation days, they also only work 5-hour workdays, receive multiple relaxation breaks, daily meals as well as room, board and transportation. And to top it off they get to live on beautiful John’s Island at the Doyle Family farm. Now if you’re asking us, we wish we had this great of a setup.

The Doyle family farm is about 20 miles away from downtown Charleston, and the animals are transported by truck and trailer to get to work. Once they make it to the Big Red Barn, the animals only work an average of five hours* a day. The City of Charleston requires that no animals should work for more than eight hours a day, but Palmetto Carriage Works likes to keep the days shorter for their animals.

People are always questioning how much and how hard Palmetto Carriage Works work their animals, so it’s time to answer those questions. Along with everything mentioned above during each shift, the animals are given plenty of rest, making sure each animal gets a 15-minute break at minimum for a drink and some time by our misting fans. Often times, during downtime at the Big Red Barn, the animals can be found asleep standing up, with one hind foot cocked in our spacious stalls. If they feel like it, they can even lay down to rest their legs. The biggest thing is the animals are never overworked.

Palmetto Carriage Works ensures their animals don’t work too hard or too much, and by doing this they are providing these animals with a positive life full of love and care.

*Based on 2016 Work Study

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Charlestonians Can Stop Worrying About Carriage Horses

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CVB

We love living in Charleston. There’s no other place we’d rather be. But, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of problems here. But we’re here to tell you…carriage horses aren’t one of those problems. It’s official, you can stop worrying about the well being of carriage horses downtown. There are more pressing issues to deal with.

First of all, these are the kinds of horses and mules that are meant to work. They come from hardy stock and they actually like having a purpose. Many of them come from working farms, some of them from Amish communities. Compared to the day in and day work on a farm, pulling a carriage with tires down a paved road is a pretty good gig.

Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works/ Facebook

We’ve all seen the shocking videos of horses “collapsing” on downtown streets. These videos are so misleading. Horses and mules pulling Charleston carriages don’t collapse from overwork; sometimes they simply trip…just like humans. It’s just jarring to see such a large animal fall. After such an incident, a horse or mule is thoroughly checked out by an equine veterinarian. The animal doesn’t return to work until the vet and staff are absolutely sure nothing is wrong.

These horses and mules are not only well looked after when there is a small incident, they are given the utmost care every day. They see a vet, an equine dentist, and a farrier on a regular basis. This ensures that their in good health and well shod at all time. When working, the temperature of the horses is taken after every tour. And if a horse is overheated it doesn’t go back out to work until it has cooled down. And if the temperature outside surpasses a certain point, the horses don’t work. And they get breaks throughout the day at their barn regardless of the weather or their temperature. So…it’s time to move on. We have bigger fish to fry.

Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works/ Facebook

Housing in Charleston has become a nightmare. As more people pour into the city seeking some of that Conde Nast perfection, the available housing becomes even more limited. This causes rents and property values to spike so only the wealthiest on the peninsula can reside there. This isn’t just happening in Charleston proper either, it’s expanding to the suburbs of West Ashley, James Island, and Mount Pleasant. Even Summerville and North Charleston are becoming too pricey for some. Making housing in Charleston affordable should be at the forefront of minds.

Airbnb is another problem that Charlestonians might want to turn their attention to. While it seems like a convenient way for travelers to find a place to stay in the city, it’s also detrimental to Charleston and its residents. With a limited number of properties in the city, turning an apartment or house into a short-term rental makes the remaining properties more expensive. The city also loses out on hotel tax. And residents who want to live in neighborhoods and have actual neighbors are surrounded by tourists. Regulations need to be put in place to regulate this.

Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works/ Facebook

Along with the new residents and visitors comes increased traffic. People who came to Charleston thinking they were moving to a small city are now experiencing big city traffic. Interstates 26 and 526 are routinely bumper to bumper. And while rush hour is a total bust commute wise, it seems that no matter what time of day you hit the road you’re packed on the road with a million other motorists. Like the housing issue, traffic is creeping into the suburbs as well, making it hard to commute around the Lowcountry. Measures need to be taken to relieve some of this traffic.

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Matilda Receives Clean Bill Of Health After Yesterday’s Trip And Fall

Featured Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works

Around 10 am yesterday morning, a carriage mule belonging to Palmetto Carriage Works tripped and fell while on duty. We’re all a little clumsy sometimes; it’s just the way it is!

“Sometimes horses and mules can trip just like you or I,” said Tommy Doyle, General Manager at Palmetto Carriage Works, “We are taking all proper precautions and making sure Matilda is thoroughly looked over by a licensed vet. We expect that she will receive a clean bill of health.”

After her fall, Matilda remained on the ground for several minutes, just as she and all her other co-workers are trained to do. Carriage mules and horses are trained to lay on the ground until their driver completely removes their harness, making sure it’s not tangled and could cause possible injury.

Palmetto Carriage Works posted a video on their Facebook shortly after Matilda returned to the Big Red Barn. She’s uninjured, completely unphased by the event and back in her stall munching on a snack.

“This behavior is commonly taught to draft horses and mules to make sure they don’t injure themselves or anyone else in the event that they do trip.” says Doyle. “We are committed to the safety and care of our animals, and will ensure that Matilda is feeling 100% before she returns back to work.”

This morning, PCW posted another video of Matilda receiving a clean bill of health from the vet. We’re glad she’s doing great and can get back to what she loves doing!

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BREAKING: Local Business Follows Business Regulations

Featured Image Credit: Mike Ledford/ Charleston City Paper

Horse carriage tours were taken off the streets two times on Thursday, August 18 due to high temperatures clocking in at 95 degrees and above. In March, an ordinance was passed by the city that lowered the heat limits for carriage horses to be on the streets to 95 degrees, three degrees lower than the original limit. These new temperature regulations were demanded by Charleston Animal Society, now they complain when they are followed.

The Charleston Animal Society is now accusing the carriage companies of using a “loophole.” They believe the carriage companies ignored protocol and kept the horses on the street for a full hour after the temperature was above 95 and took them back out within a half-hour of being stable.

That wasn’t the case.

Image Credit: Palmetto Carriage Works

Palmetto Carriage Works posted a statement on their Facebook page to provide some clarity on the situation: “Just a quick update about today. At around 11:50 am this morning we received word from the city that they had 4 consecutive temperature readings indicating 95 degrees. Following proper procedure, we stopped all carriage tours until we received further word from the City of Charleston.”

Well, that statement definitely clears the air. However, Charleston Animal Society thought not only did they not pull them, but they the horses back out. Palmetto Carriage Works also provided a timeline of the event.

“At 12:50 pm we received word that the temperature had dropped below 95 degrees. At that time we also received clearance from the City of Charleston to resume tours. At 1:35 pm we received word that the temperature reading went back up to 95 degrees. Again following proper procedure we made sure that no new tours went out. All tours were off the street by 2:30 pm.”

A story released by ABC News 4 confirmed the carriage companies version of events: “City of Charleston spokesman Jack O’Toole confirms the horses were ordered off the streets Thursday at 11:50 a.m. and 1:35 p.m. After the first instance, it was 45 minutes before the horses were cleared to work again (12:35 p.m.). It was an hour and 10 minutes before the horses were allowed back to work after the second shutdown (2:44 p.m.), according to O’Toole.

Image Credit: Old South Carriage Company Facebook

So since when did abiding by the law become a “loophole?” The carriage companies followed regulations while completing their usual examinations and procedures on the horses, taking individual temperatures after every tour. The carriage companies want to ensure the safety of the horses and obey the City of Charleston regulations, something they have done for years and take very seriously.

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Part One: Here Are The Facts About Big John’s So-Called “Collapse”

Image Credit: Charleston Carriage Works

Part one of the series looking at the carriage industry and all players involved…

Just so there is no confusion here, let us start off by saying that as Charleston locals, we support the carriage industry. We are here to give you the facts. We are here to do all the research for you.

So as you may know, Big John is a carriage horse that works for Charleston Carriage Works. On April 19, 2017, Big John tripped and fell to the ground at 323 Meeting Street, in front of FIG Restaurant, at the start of his first tour of the day.

Image Credit: Charleston Carriage Works

Tourists and locals alike took crowded around to snap photos and videos as the horse was seemingly calm and resting on the ground. Both tourism enforcement officers and Charleston Carriage Works employees worked to help remove the animals harness and get him back on his feet.

And so, naturally, organizations like Charleston Animal Society and Charleston Carriage Horse Advocates immediately pushed those videos and photos out to the public, telling the world that Big John “collapsed” from heat exhaustion and from being overworked.

As a result, both Charleston Carriage Works and the carriage industry as a whole received a new wave of backlash and harassment when in reality, a “collapse” from heat exhaustion or being overworked or whatever other lie you may have heard – was not the case at all.

By law, all horse carriage incidents must be reported immediately.

Image Credit: Charleston Carriage Works

“City tourism enforcement officers are then dispatched to the scene to investigate the incident, work to ensure the horse’s well-being, and file an official report, which is then made available to the public,” according to Jack O’Toole, the Communications Director for the City of Charleston.

This case was no different. The very next day after the 11 minute incident, the city released a full report, which also included a report from the city equine manager, who O’Toole says is one of only two people in the county who has been trained as a certified animal abuse specialist who can detect incidents of abuse or mistreatment. On top of that, a report from the veterinarian on the scene was also included.

The report and the veterinary exam both showed Big John only worked 30 minutes that day, meaning he was not overworked that day, contrary to what you read in the headlines.

In the video above, you can see Big John minutes after his stumble walking around.

The reports also stated that Big John did not “collapse,” he “stumbled and fell” to the pavement. Which, might we add, happens from time to time…to all of us…

The Charleston Police also released a statement that same Wednesday that said Big John slipped while rounding the corner from Meeting Street onto Hassel Street. They were able to make this statement because of eye witness accounts from numerous officers on the scene.

According to the Dan Riccio, the Director of the City of Charleston Department of Livability and Tourism, Big John suffered minor scratches, and was cleared by veterans to continue working that very next day.

Want to learn more about Big John, his love for popsicles and his semi-retired life at Charleston Carriage Works? Click here.