Two San Antonio City Council Members submit request to end downtown horse-drawn carriage rides

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — Those horse draw carriage rides in downtown San Antonio could soon be a thing of the past.

Two City Council members, Jalen McKeen Rodriguez and Phyllis Viagran, have submitted paperwork to end the carriage rides by the end of 2023.

The Council Consideration Request would prohibit the use of horses with carriage rides, meaning the long time fixture of the downtown area would end.

The council members cite inhumane conditions for the horses as well as traffic congestion and environmental impact of idling cars waiting for the carriages to move out of the way.

The request is getting support from three other council members, Manny Palaez, Ana Sandoval and Adriana Rocha Garcia.

Also included in the request is a plan to establish a transition program to assist workers who would have to switch to operating pedicabs and electric carriages.

Also supporting the request is the group Animal Wellness Action. Executive Director Marty Irby released the following statement:

“We applaud Councilmembers Jalen McKeen Rodriguez and Phyllis Viagran for their vision and efforts to bring an end to horse-drawn carriages in San Antonio and call on the City Council to swiftly move and enact this important legislation that will prevent our iconic American equines from suffering through extreme temperatures while pounding the pavement and hot asphalt streets. America was built on the backs of horses and they deserve better than to be forced to suck exhaust fumes from tailpipes while pulling massive carriages full of tourists. This isn’t Ancient Rome, it’s 2022, and our modern-day society will no longer tolerate this gruesome abuse.”