‘Horses’ Hoof It to Canterbury City Council to Rally for Ban on Cruel Carriage Rides

Canterbury –After learning that Perfect Pleasure Horse Drawn Carriages has begun accepting bookings for horse-drawn carriage rides in Canterbury despite widespread opposition, PETA supporters and members from East Kent Animal Action – wearing giant horse masks and holding signs urging the council to act– gathered outside of Thursday’s Canterbury City Council meeting (16 July) to demand a ban on the cruel rides.

More images and footage are available here and here .

“Forcing horses to haul carriages through busy streets is a recipe for disaster. In many cities, horses used for rides have collapsed from exhaustion and even bolted into traffic when spooked by the noise and chaos of city life,” says PETA Senior Campaigns Manager Kate Werner. “PETA is calling on Canterbury City Council to prioritise animal welfare and public safety by rejecting horse-drawn carriages, as other forward-thinking cities already have.”

Horses used for carriage rides are forced to pull heavy loads through loud, busy traffic on hard surfaces, often for long hours with little rest. This constant strain contributes to chronic injuries, including lameness and hoof deterioration, and, in some cases, horses have collapsed on the roadside after being overworked. Horse-drawn carriages are also dangerous to riders, pedestrians, and motorists: In 2024, a man in a horse-drawn carriage was seriously injured after a collision with a vehicle in Leicestershire—and just last month in New York, a teenage tourist was killed after a horse forced to pull a tourist carriage bolted in Central Park.

PETA previously submitted a petition with 15,000 signatures urging Canterbury City Council to reject a proposal from Perfect Pleasure Horse Drawn Carriages to introduce and operate cruel horse-and-cart rides in Canterbury.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a horse is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.

Contact:

Lucy Watson +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]

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