A video of a horse collapsed in the street in Old Montreal on Monday has gone viral, renewing calls for a ban on the calèche industry.
According to witnesses, the mare lay on her side for approximately 10 minutes, unresponsive to the attempts of the driver and other men to rouse her, before getting up on her own.
The mare’s owner Luc Desparois, of Lucky Luc calèches, said 15-year-old Cocette is in good health, and has been pulling carriages in the area since 2010. Veterinary records indicated that the mare was overweight in 2016, but no other concerns were noted, and she was found to be in good health in August.