A Story by Sara Olkon of Chicago Tribune

Interesting that this story came up the SAME day as J.C. Cutters is accused of starving their horses. Not looking good for the Chicago carriage industry.

Horse-drawn carriage firms say business is suffering
They blame Chicago regulations, cold as some companies go out of business
By Sara Olkon Tribune reporter
February 6, 2009

Dan Sampson says he and some competitors want the city to change how it deals with horse-drawn carriages.

Tate the carriage horse now spends his days eating hay inside a small, quiet lot in Old Town.Until recently, the rugged draft horse was accustomed to a life of far more majesty and bustle. The 11-year-old Percheron was one of the regular carriage horses stationed on North Michigan Avenue, and he performed in equine shows in Old Town. But Tate has been out of work since last month, when his bosses at Noble Horse Carriages ceased operations."We are essentially closed," said Dan Sampson, the owner of Noble Horse Theatre. Until last month, Noble Horse staged equine performances inside its riding hall and ran carriage rides in downtown Chicago.Sampson blames the city—specifically the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection—for the way it has handled the carriage-staging rules since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. At that time, the city shuttered two prime locations on Michigan Avenue: at Pearson Street and Superior Street.

With those spots gone, the remaining five carriage businesses had to compete for three spots on Michigan Avenue. Without an "assigned parking" system on Magnificent Mile to distinguish the different companies, he and his competitors have had to scramble for locations, he said. Because of that, they have lost repeat customers and visibility, he said, adding that assigned spots are safer for horses because the animals crave familiarity.Norma Reyes, the commissioner of consumer services, said through her spokeswoman that the department responded to the industry by holding a lottery last season that designated permanent spots for the horse-drawn carriages.But the lottery was rejected by the carriage operators, city officials and the operators said."They weren't pleased with the results," said Efrat Stein, spokeswoman for the department.Sampson called the lottery a "preposterous" system that scattered the horse staging spots at "random spots that have no tourist value," including Buckingham Fountain and the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St. He said people have come to expect the carriages on the Magnificent Mile.Stein said the department will review the parking issue for the next carriage season, which begins in the spring."Moving forward, we will need to assess the needs of the industry again and determine the best way to address this issue," she said.Sampson, a third-generation livery man, is calling for changes in the system as is at least one competitor.Antique Coach & Carriage has been conducting carriage rides downtown for 24 years, said Debbie Hay, Antique's owner. The current system makes it difficult for her to attract business, she said."I have to worry about establishing it as a place people know where to come," she said.The other carriage companies could not be reached for comment. One of them, JC Cutters, did not have its city license renewed this year after city inspectors found, among other problems, that the stables were not up to code, Stein said. JC Cutters is appealing the decision.To be sure, the staging areas aren't the only thing hurting carriage rides.The rides aren't cheap—generally about $70 an hour. And animal rights activists have long been hostile to horse carriage rides; some critics say forcing horses to work is inherently inhumane.Operators said business has been down in recent months, compared to the same period in past years. Hay blames the staging rules, the economy and the harsher than normal winter weather. City rules prohibit the horses from working if it's 15 degrees or colder, or if the roads are hazardous because of ice or snow. In summer, horses aren't allow to work if it's 90 degrees or hotter.Sampson said the damage wrought by the city's staging system has been fatal for his business. With $2 million in revenue lost from falling carriage ride sales over the last six years, Sampson said he can no longer keep either the carriage rides or the theater running. He stopped the carriage rides Jan. 1. Ten days later, he staged the last equine show.Tate the carriage horse, meanwhile, spends his days doing little more than eating and hanging out—something that saddens Sampson."If they can't go out and work, they get frustrated," he said.