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Residents and advocates press St. Augustine to tighten oversight of horse-drawn carriages after illness, death and safety complaints
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Summary
Public commenters told the city commission that recent incidents 2 including a runaway carriage, a falling horse, an outbreak of contagious equine "strangles" at the city-leased stables, and inconsistent veterinary records 2 demonstrate weak operator compliance and insufficient city oversight; the city manager said staff will return with follow-up information and the commission heard an informational, temporary rerouting of carriage routes for construction.
Public speakers at the St. Augustine City Commission's regular meeting urged the city to strengthen oversight of the horse-drawn carriage industry, citing recent safety incidents, inconsistent veterinary documentation and at least one horse death connected to a contagious equine illness.
Several residents singled out a single operator they say has shown repeated violations. Catherine Zoda told the commission the carriage industry "has spiraled out of control," listing a runaway carriage, an injured passenger, a fallen horse that was put back to work and a strangles outbreak at the city-leased stable. Heather Wilson described apparent mismatches in veterinary records for named animals and said a state quarantine notice from Jan. 8, 2026, documented a horse showing symptoms and elevated temperature. Patricia Ramos said a horse had died and accused the commission of enabling violations of code and the franchise agreement.
The public commenters asked the commission to stop leasing city property to the current stable operator, require better tracking and health checks for animals, and consider alternatives such as electric carriages. "Before returning the horses to city streets, it is imperative the city record all horses on-site and account for any that are missing," Zoda said.
Not all speakers supported an industry-wide ban. Jason Judge, who said he works in the trade, defended the carriage tradition and called for targeted enforcement: "We need strong rules and real punishment for anyone who hurts a horse, not getting rid of the whole industry," he said.
City Manager David Burton provided an operational update elsewhere on the agenda but, speaking specifically about the stables and the outbreak, said staff would gather more information. Burton confirmed staff had been in contact with the state veterinarian and later told commissioners that staff could provide a comprehensive report at a future meeting. "We have confirmation that one horse did pass away," Burton said; he added that the city did not yet have the full veterinary report in the record.
As an informational item, Burton also said the city would temporarily reroute carriage franchise routes because construction on a block of Seville Street prevents the usual turn. The reroute is expected to last through mid-June.
What happens next: commissioners asked for a more detailed staff report on the stables' leases, quarantine protocols and vet findings. The City Attorney was also asked to return with background on enforcement options for franchise and lease violations.
The meeting did not include a policy vote on carriage operations; commissioners requested staff follow up and promised to revisit the matter after the city attorney and city manager present more details.
