Horse carriage incidents are frequent occurrences in Victoria.
Incidents happen with the horse carriages because:
- A horse is spooked.
- The driver of the horse carriage is unable to control the horse.
- A motor vehicle collides with the horse carriage causing one of the above to take place.
- Horse carriage operators are not operating with the horses welfare or public safety in mind.
Incidents with horse carriages happen on a yearly basis in Victoria, B.C. Some are reported in local media and some reported directly to police. Others still are handled privately or are never reported officially.
It is extremely important that all carriages collisions and incidents are reported to the following agencies to be properly recorded and documented for further investigation:
- Victoria Police Department – If an emergency call 911, otherwise call 250-995-7654
- BCSPCA Animal Cruelty Reporting Hotline at 1 (855) 6BC SPCA (1-855-622-7722). Report all incidents involving the horse carriages even if they are not directly cruelty related.
- Victoria Horse Alliance – We will make sure that your story gets out to the right sources and we will be sure to add your account of what happened to our files. Please share with us any images you take of the collision as well. We will not publish your name or contact information. Contact us here.
This helps the City of Victoria and organizations such as Victoria Horse Alliance understand the scope of these collisions, the safety concerns, and how this industry affects the integrity of our communities.
You are a vital part of speaking on behalf of the horses and making sure their interests are protected. It is in the interests of the horse carriage companies to downplay or limit the exposure of any collisions that happen in our communities because it is bad for their business. Yet, this is bad for our communities because it disarms people from making informed decisions about the appropriateness and safety of the horse carriage industry in Victoria.
Horse Carriage Collisions, Accidents, and Complaint Reports
Below you will find a dated list of documented collision reports and complaints to the City of Victoria and the Victoria Police Department.
We are happy to also include citizen accounts of events or complaints as well. If you have documented an incident you would like to share with us please send us the image or video with your statement.
May 3rd, 1995:
- Runaway coach struck and dragged a pedestrian with two horses while they were crossing the sidewalk.
- Related Business: Tally-Ho Carriage Tours
July 25th, 1997:
- Horse spooked and carriage tipped over on Wharf and Broughton St.
- Related Business: Carriage Tours Victoria
Aug 7th, 1997:
- Horse out of control on Empress hotel front law. Bride and groom thrown from the carriage.
- Related Business: Unknown
July 22nd, 2002:
- Horse spooked and bolted with one tourist in carriage, striking a vehicle.
- Related Business: Black Beauty Lines
Jan 16, 2003:
- Horse runs into tree, several people injured.
- Related Business: Tally Ho Tours
Sept 15th, 2003:
- Three injured when horse carriage spooked in Beacon Hill Park due to noise from a grass trimmer.
- Related Business: Victoria Carriage Tours
Aug 24th, 2004:
- Horse spooked and out of control, property damage.
- Related Business: Black Beauty Carriages
May 6th, 2005:
- Horse carriage struck by vehicle after being parked at Government and Belleville Intersection
- Related Business: Carriage Company Unknown
Aug 15th, 2005:
- Horse spooked and bolted, throwing passenger from the carriage.
- Related Business: Tally Ho Tours
Sep 10th, 2005:
- Horse spooked and bolted hitting vehicle, horse injured
- Related Business: Victoria Carriage Tours
Aug 04th, 2006:
- Horse out of control along Dallas Rd, horse injured
- Related Business: Carriage Company Unknown
Aug 31st, 2006:
- Horse carriage spooked and carriage tipped over.
- Related Business: Carriage Company Unknown
May 24th, 2008:
- Collision Damage Under $1000
- Related Business: Victoria Carriage Tours
Dec 4th, 2008:
- Collision Damage Under $1000
- Related Business: Victoria Horse Carriage Tours
March 6th, 2009:
- Horse Carriage Horse Collapses on Government St.
- Related Business: Black Beauty Line Ltd.
July 19th, 2010:
- Assist Public report: Horses out of control
- Related Business: Victoria Trolley and Carriage Tours
Aug 22nd, 2011:
- Horse Carriage Tipped Over In Beacon Hill Park
- Related Business: Tally Ho carriage tours
Aug 1st, 2012:
- Traffic Other report: Horse and carriage out of control
- Related Business: Tally Ho carriage tours
May 23rd, 2014:
- Collision Damage Over $1000/Runaway Horse
- Related Business: Tally Ho carriage tours
July 3rd, 2014:
- Vehicle Hit and Run
- Related Business: Tally Ho carriage tours
Oct 13th, 2014:
- Horse Carriage Operating At Night Without Lights On
- Related Business: Tally Ho carriage tours
August 9th, 2015:
- More information sought from the community.
November 29th, 2015:
- Report of horse carriage collision on Dallas Rd. from several sources.
- Child jumped off moving horse trolley after dropping toy off the side. Narrowly missed being seriously injured.
July 24th, 2016:
- Pedicab driver documented holding onto carriage to tow his fully loaded tandem pedicab along with the fully loaded carriages. Carriage driver allows behaviour.
August 3rd, 2016:
- Horse giving tour after having thrown his shoe. Carriage driver informed and replies to concerned citizen, that there is nothing they can do and won’t stop the tour.
August 19th, 2016:
- Horse breaks free of carriage in James Bay and runs amok in the streets. Several residents expressed being “traumatized” by the event.
June 28th, 2017:
- Trailer driving horses out of town after their shift in collision with another vehicle.
August 2017:
- Carriage horse spooked and runs out of control down Menzies St.
August 2017:
- While giving a tour in Beacon Hill Park, phone is dropped off the side of the carriage. Driver jumps off the vehicle while it is moving picks up the phone and returns to the drivers seat.
Oct 2017:
- While giving a tour, driver stops at outside liquor store for passengers to buy alcohol, passengers return to carriage and open alcohol passing a bottle to the driver. It is illegal to have open liquor in public.
May 4th, 2018:
- At Ogden Point, a horse drawn trolley is pulling out of the driveway when the two horses pulling the trolley collapse. Both horses try and struggle to get up due to mishandling of the equipment by carriage company staff. Carriage staff report to the BC SPCA, city councillors, and media that the horses were instructed to lay down and then got up immediately when the carriage staff directed them. Video footage was then released contradicting these claims.
August 17th, 2018:
- Another collision at Ogden Point with a horse drawn trolley. In this incident a trolley loaded with passengers was being operated with faulty equipment. When the horse became spooked the horse bolted and crashed into a parked vehicle, apparently missing a large group of tourists.
August 20th, 2018:
- During the B.C. wildfires in 2018 Victoria was documented, along with much of B.C., as having the worst air quality on Earth according to Environment Canada. There was an advisement to not be outside longer than necessary, but horse carriages continued to operate despite this warning, compromising the health and well-being of the animals. Due to public backlash raised by Victoria Horse Alliance, some tours were stopped while others continued regardless of the health risks.
February 17th, 2020:
- We received video from a concerned member of the public showing what they described as a “carriage horse in distress” at Powell and Michigan St. in James Bay. Apparently traffic was blocked on the street for 10min due to the incident. It is unclear from the video if there was any damage done or injuries to the horse or people.
March 29th, 2020:
- Horse carriages operating during COVID-19 pandemic despite being a non-essential business. Images show carriage company operating, possibly creating a video, despite Stay at Home expectations in place for public safety.
Feburary 20th, 2020:
- Community member documents a carriage horse in distress at Powell and Michigan st. in James Bay. According to a witness, traffic was blocked for 10 min on the street due to the incident. Documented on video.
July 26 & 27th, 2020:
- Weather warning due to high temperatures is issued for Greater Victoria. Temperatures reach 28 degrees and horse carriages are documented operating.
Sept 11th, 2020:
- Due to poor air quality from wildfire smoke that blanketed the Greater Victoria region, the air quality was considered the worst in the world. Carriage staff are documented operating despite these warnings. City of Victoria is emailed by VHA supporters to bring in protections for the horses. No action is taken. There are no regulations on the air quality in which the horse carriages can operate in the Vehicle for Hire Bylaw.
June 25th, 2021:
- Heat warnings for Greater Victoria of temperatures between 29-37 degrees are issued by Environment Canada. One carriage company stops operations due to pressure VHA creates through a public awareness campaign. However, the other carriage company continues to operate despite the heat. The City of Victoria is encourage to bring in temperature limits. No action is taken.
June 26th, 2021:
- A carriage company is documented operating again in 35-degree heat despite temperature warnings.
August 12th, 2021:
- Another heat warning from Environment Canada of 29-37 degrees. One company chooses to continue operating, while the other does not.
January 2022:
- Another former carriage staff member comes forward with pictures and information regarding the operation of Victoria Carriage Tours. They include a number of pictures of horse injuries, faulty equipment, and a narrative that the former employee was bullied when trying to raise safety concerns. The informant asks for the information not to be made public due to fear of response from carriage companies, but allows it to be shared with council members for informing them of the situation.
June 12th, 2022:
- Horse trolley full of passengers documented on video becoming stuck while trying to squeeze between a delivery truck and parked vehicles. Instead of waiting for the delivery driver to move, the carriage driver tries to push through. The delivery driver yells “stop!” and advises they will move the vehicle. Eventually, the trolley goes through once the truck is moved.
July 27th, 2023:
- A cyclist complains to a carriage driver operating in a bike lane that bike lanes are for cyclists only. There is a verbal exchange,and the carriage driver whips the cyclist with her whip. The cyclist speaks to the carriage attendant at Menzies and Belleville, who responds to the cyclist that they have “the right to whip people and cars.” The cyclist reports this to Bylaw Services.
July 28th, 2023:
- A major horse carriage accident occurs at Menzies at Superior. A horse with a driver in the carriage bolts down Menzies after being spooked. The horse turned onto Superior St. and crashed into the bike lane curb and then a post, throwing the carriage driver and horse to the ground. The carriage driver is taken to hospital by BC Emergency Health Services ambulance paramedics. The horse, who was on the ground for some time, remained spooked for approximately an hour with police, fire, and paramedics blocking off the scene. A vet attends to the horses’ bloody injuries on site and the horse is eventually led away into a nearby trailer trailer. Witnesses on site were emotional.
We have many more documented complaints, collisions, and incidents of concern to be posted soon. All are obtained through freedom of information requests from the Victoria Police Department and the City of Victoria, or documented first-hand accounts.