Montreal's caleche horses are in great health: report

A horse and caleche is seen in Old Montreal on Saturday, July 18, 2015. (Morgan Lowrie / The Canadian Press)

Montreal’s caleche horses have never been healthier, and having the horses pull carriages is not an act of cruelty, according to a report made public by the city Thursday.

Mayor Denis Coderre asked to see a report on the health of the horses after a photo showing a horse that had fallen on a metal plate on its way to its Griffintown home began circulating on social media earlier in the summer.

The photo ignited debate on whether horse-drawn carriages were safe for horses, and whether they should exist at all.

The document, prepared by clinicians at the Centre hospitalier universitaire veterinaire (affiliated with the Universite de Montreal), outlines how check ups on the horses began in 2012, at which point the horses were in “poor” physical health. They had cuts, difficulty walking and respiratory issues. Owners were not happy with the checkups, and even became aggressive with the veterinarians.

Over the years the frequency of the inspections increased. Now, veterinarians visit the horses every week for two to three hours and subject 10 to 20 horses to a much more rigourous examination during each visit.

The report says owners are getting fewer sanctions and that they appear to be taking greater responsibility for their animals.