Owner of Bethlehem Carriage Company defends animal care, offers vouchers and public visits

Corey Calaboda, owner of Bethlehem Carriage Company, used public comment to outline the company’s animal‑care practices and to invite councilors and residents to observe operations before the holiday season.

Calaboda said carriage rides have been part of Bethlehem for nearly 50 years and that Bethlehem Carriage Company has participated for about 20 years. He described veterinary and maintenance practices for his Percheron draft horses, saying horses receive chiropractic care, massages and nutritional supplements and that annual expenditures on supplements "exceed $1,500 per horse." He said many of the carriage horses were rescues and that the company uses materials intended to increase comfort and longevity, including natural‑care practitioners and "plastic shoes better for their joints and pads that extend their comfort and soundness for over four years compared to traditional metal shoes." He invited councilors and members of the public to visit the horses before the Bethlehem tree lighting and offered seven carriage‑ride vouchers for council distribution.

Two members of the public spoke in support. Terry Kloiber said she had worked as a groom on carriage rides and described the horses as well cared for and well trained; she encouraged people to take rides and see the animals. Councilors thanked Calaboda for transparency and the invitation and noted the carriage rides’ economic and tourism contributions to the city’s holiday tradition.

Calaboda’s remarks were delivered during the public‑comment period and do not reflect a city determination about animal‑welfare compliance; any regulatory oversight would rely on state and local animal‑care and public‑safety codes and inspections.