With the recent coverage of celebrities protesting horse-drawn carriages, I felt it was time to bring it up myself. Just like eating a burger, people tend to plead ignorance when it comes to enjoying a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. What could be wrong with it? You’re giving the horse much needed exercise. He’s just taking a stroll. It can’t be harmful.

And that’s where you’re wrong. It can be incredibly harmful and detrimental to a horse’s health. Think of it this way: this activity is most common in big, bustling cities. What does this mean? Toxic exhaust fumes from traffic. Extreme temperatures. Loud noises of honking horns, music, construction, festivals, street performers etc. These horses work long hours and are often kept in walk-ups, which are very cramped stalls where the horse can barely move. Sound familiar? Oh yeah, chickens, cows and pigs are put in extremely cramped spaces for the sake of the food industry.

Horses are incredibly sensitive animals. They can’t be expected to roam the streets all day facing the elements unprotected, not getting enough water, and not being allowed to rest comfortably at night. When they hear loud noises, they get spooked. Ever been near a horse when it’s spooked? Watch out! They high tail it away from whatever scares them. One horse, named Smoothie, got spooked by street performers and crashed into a tree. That’s when Smoothie’s Law was born.

Smoothie’s Law, initiated by New York City Councilmember Tony Avella, is a proposal for a citywide ban of horse-drawn carriages. Backers of this proposal include Pink, Alec Baldwin, the Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde, and of course PETA.

On a more positive note, horse-drawn carriages have already been banned in London, Paris, Beijing, Key West, and Santa Fe.