Caring for Charleston’s Carriage Horses

By Holly Fisher & Jenny Peterson

It’s a safe bet that if the horses working local carriage tours could talk, they could easily recite the best parts of Charleston’s history.

Carriage tours are a popular activity and the steeds pulling the carriages may very well be the city’s best ambassadors, drawing in visitors with their easy gait and gentle spirit.

Carriage horses play an important role in Charleston tourism, and Tommy Doyle of Palmetto Carriage Works knows it. That’s why he takes such good care of the animals who pull his carriages, ensuring they are healthy and happy employees.

Most often the horses have retired from pulling plows all day, usually in Pennsylvania’s Amish country. They semi-retire to Charleston – as so many from that area do – and take up work pulling carriages.

They may not be earning a paycheck, but they get plenty of vacation time and the health care package is pretty tough to beat.

“They get a new set of shoes every six weeks. They’ve got a full medical plan,” Doyle says. “They see the dentist once a year and see a veterinarian a minimum of three times a year.” Doyle explains how his company carefully follows the rules and regulations laid out by the City of Charleston for carriage tour operators, often going a step further to provide the very best care for the animals.

Palmetto Carriage has 36 horses that rotate between the barn downtown and the company’s 30-acre farm on Johns Island. The horses at Palmetto Carriage get 16 weeks of rest and relaxation a year.

Tours depart from their Big Red Barn located at 8 Guignard St. near the City Market. Palmettocarriage.com