Nottingham Shire &
Carriage for Hire LLC   

In April 2010 a carriage owned by another carriage company in Atlanta was rear-ended by a car illegally drag racing in the downtown area. Even though the unfortunate accident was not the fault of the horse or driver, the accident caused the horse and carriage industry in Atlanta to become the target of the Georgia Animal Right and Protection group. A year has passed and GARP continues to protest the carriages monthly and pass out propaganda filled with lies and false information about the horse carriage industry in Atlanta.

The following lies are directly taken from the Petition to Ban Horse Carriages in Atlanta.

1. • GARP says “Horses on average live for thirty years - Atlanta horses used for carriage businesses live on average only four years before they are slaughtered”
   • We retired our first carriage horse in 2010, after 18 YEARS OF SERVICE in the Atlanta carriage industry between several companies. He is living out his remaining years at our house outside the city, and we are appalled anyone could possibly assume we would slaughter our partner of a decade. Three of our horses on our current fleet we have owned since they were only a few months old and raised and trained them ourselves. About half of our fleet of horses have worked for our company for 6-8 years, not including the years they worked in the carriage for another individual. We are required by the city of Atlanta to have a licensed veterinarian inspect each horse every six months and determine the horse is healthy and fit for the job.
2. • GARP says “ These animals are forced to work from 1:00 p.m.- 6:00 a.m. seven days a week with no adequate breaks ”
   • The city of Atlanta is very strict about certain hours they allow carriage horses on the city streets, with a primary interest in keeping horses off the street during prime rush hours. This does not mean the horses are literally out every day of the week until 6:00 am! On weekdays (M-F) the carriages are allowed too operate for hire after 7:00 pm and on weekends (S-S) the carriages are allowed to operate for hire after 1pm, weather permitting (heat regulations in summer). Every day of the week the carriages must be off the street by 6am to avoid morning rush hour. Even with these hours we have never had a carriage stay out until 6:00 am. Most of the time they are in before midnight. During a night working on a horse and carriage the fares vary. Some nights a driver may only give one ride on the carriage. When a driver is not on a ride the carriage parks at designated carriage stands, where horses sometimes take a break for over an hour waiting for a fare. Horses parked at the carriage stands can often be found standing on three legs with a rear leg cocked, a common position for a resting horse.
3. • GARP says “Carriage Horses Have Cysts on the insides of their legs”
   • The bony-looking bumps sticking out of the inside of each horse's leg is known as a “chestnut” and can be found on each living horse's leg. This growth is believed to be a “toe” from when prehistoric horses had toes.
4. • GARP says “Their living conditions are horrific. They reside in a foot of mud with absolutely no shelter from the elements”
   • Our stables in downtown Atlanta have over 2 acres for our horses to roam on, with adequate shelter to protect them from harsh weather. We do not believe in keeping horses confined to stalls or held inside warehouse buildings. Our horses live as a herd and behave as normal, heathy, social horses behave. During the summer months the horses have a sprinkler system to keep them cool as well as plenty of shade. The paddock is regularly graded and maintained, and during rain the horses have dry shelter to go in.
5. • GARP says “These gentle animals suffer from respiratory ailments because they breathe in exhaust fumes, and they develop debilitating leg problems from walking on hard surfaces.”
   • Where is the evidence to back up this statement? Why do the carriage horses pass their vet exam every six months? Why do so many of our horses work so well for so many years? Why don't our drivers experience regular ailments and respiratory problems as well?