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Pony rides: a cute photo op or an inhumane abuse of adorable tiny horses? One Santa Monica resident (and former congressional candidate) says it's the latter and is using a lapsed business license and lack of permits to try to force farmers' market staple Tawni's Ponies out for good, says the Santa Monica Daily Press. The resident, Marcy Winograd, doesn't have a lot of community support—there are only 278 signatures on an anti-pony-ride petition she put out a month ago, compared to the 734 signatures on one in favor of pony rides that was started by the ride operator—but she does have evidence that the pony ride operator does not have the animal permit she's contractually obligated to have, nor does she have a current business license. (Whoops: it expired in 2004.)
Tawni's Ponies has been operating at the farmers' market since at least 2006, when it signed a contract with SaMo. The city doesn't seem too concerned about the permits or the animal rights question; they knew Tawni's Ponies didn't have an up-to-date business license and "were still taking a closer look at the implications by press time."
· Pony ride operator lacking some permits [SMDP]
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