Image by Flickr user billreadImage by 20090407-horse.jpg

On March 26 a horse in downtown Charleston was startled, panicked, and caused the carriage it was pulling to flip.

Read more stories on this subject in our PETA topic page.And now PETA has sent a letter to Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. asking him to prohibit horse-drawn carriages, saying the practice is "cruel and dangerous to force horses to pull oversized loads in heavy traffic and extreme weather conditions."

They also site Charleston's six carriage incidents in 15 months.

But Riley isn't having it, saying in a prepared statement: "The care and management of animals used in the City of Charleston to transport visitors touring the city has been vigilantly managed and regulated since 1984. The horse drawn carriages are a very safe and delightful way to see the sights of our historic city of Charleston. ... The concerns of PETA are noted but the City feels that there is no anxiety warranted. We will continue to maintain great standards and service the model for the care and respect for horses and the carriage industry."