SPCA recommends banning horse carriages from Victoria streets following shocking video

The video is shocking. Two horses slipping at the Ogden Point cruise ship terminal in Victoria while pulling a trolley full of passengers.

The footage, shot in May, shows one of animals struggling to get up, getting caught in its harness and collapsing, bringing the other horse down.

Now the SPCA has weighed in, calling on major changes to the popular industry aimed at Victoria’s tourists.

“I felt a little bit sick. For me, I imagined an animal that was mine and the stress they would go through. It was hard to watch,” said Amy Morris, Public Policy and Outreach manager at SPCA.

The SPCA is now recommending the city of Victoria change the rules around horse-drawn carriages. The organization is recommending the rides be restricted to parks, ban the horses being harnessed together and ensure emergency kits are on the carriages if an incident like this happens again.

“The harnesses should have been removed immediately,” said Morris. “It was evident to us that the emergency training for staff was not in place. Our focus is on mitigating risk going forward and our job is to make sure something like this doesn’t happen.”

READ MORE: Victoria group wants horse-drawn carriages banned

Victoria Tours, the company responsible for the horse and carriage shown in the video, sent out a statement in May when the incident took place.

“Both horses fell to the ground, where they remained calm and waited for their handlers to remove their harness. Once they were given the ok from their team, the horses easily stood and walked back to their staging area,” reads the statement.

Global News has reached out to the company for comment.

Jordan Reichert from the Animal Protection Party of Canada says it is clear from the video that the horses did not remain calm on the ground. Reichert says he appreciates the SPCA’s recommendations but believes that a full out ban is more appropriate.

READ MORE: Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre introduces new rules for horse-drawn carriage rides

“The carriage companies were not handling this situation properly, they were not prepared to handle the situation,” said Reichert. “This is five minutes of video that shows exactly what we have been talking about all this time.”

Victoria city staff is now planning a report that will go to city council. Councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe has watched the video and is waiting to see whatever report is produced for council.

“Shock, disgust, sadness, concern, I think anyone who cares about animals would react to this video,” said Thornton-Joe. “There is never been a call for an outright ban and now this is a different direction we will have to consider.”

WATCH HERE: Animal rights activists saddle up for fight to ban horse-drawn carriages in Victoria

A different horse and carriage company, Tally-Ho Carriage Tours, has responded to the SPCA letter in a statement. The company does not understand how one incident has led the SPCA to conclude a potential industry crippling move into parks would solve the problem.

“In every aspect of our operation, Tally-Ho follows strict procedures and precautions to maximize the safety of our horses, staff and the general public. We operate under the guidelines of a comprehensive, 70-page Policies and Procedures Manual, a copy of which was provided to Councillor Charlayne Thornton-Joe prior to the commencement of our 2018 season,” reads the statement.

“We are a progressive company that continually implements advancements in the carriage industry and sets high standards of ethics and care. Tally-Ho exceeds both current and proposed regulations. The industry’s safety record is outstanding at only a 0.00001% incident rate over the last 20 years.  We look forward to continued collaborative dialogue with the City of Victoria regarding appropriate oversight of the industry.”