The owner operator of Victoria Carriage Tours says it's unfortunate some people are judging what happened to two of their horses based on a video posted by a group campaigning for the end of the tourism-based business.
Katarina Sjoblom acknowledges it's disturbing to watch as staff try to slowly guide the horses back up. But she says what the video doesn't show is that a tour bus driver was crowding the horse carriage. That surprised the first horse when he back up, causing him to slip and bring down the partner he was harnessed to:
"Everybody knows to give the horses space, and this particular bus driver did not give the carriage much space, the trolley much space. So when the horse did back up ... and the bus driver was very unprofessional and came out yelling and screaming at our trolley driver, who is very well trained, and we are always ongoing with our training with drivers."
Sjoblom says the longtime Commissionaire at Ogden Point told her he was shocked at the behviour and would report the bus driver.
After reviewing the video the company has decided to remove the harness in future first before asking the horses to get up as they were attached as a team. Once they were freed from each other they got up uninjured and calm. Sjoblom notes no passengers were harmed during the incident, and adds her business has had nothing like this happen in the 15 years she's run it.
Sjoblom also provided CFAX 1070 with a statement from her vet, confirming the horses, Chris and Matt, were checked by a vet and pronounced phsyically sound, outside of a few minor skin abrasions. Despite that she kept them off work for a week.