The rhythm of horses' hooves echoing though the city's cobblestone streets conjures up images of a graceful preindustrial Prague long gone. But if carriages are an integral element of the history and atmosphere of Old Town Square, their owners say equine transport is firstly a business and secondly a labor of love.

"When the [Velvet Revolution] ended everyone took advantage of the freedom they were given," says Josef Kočovský, owner and founder of Pony Travel, Prague's largest horse-drawn carriage company. "Everyone who had a whip and a carriage basically headed for Old Town Square, seeking to go into business on their own."

For Kočovský, choosing this line of work was a matter of tradition. "I grew up in the farming sector around horses," he says. "It's a big part of my background."

Jiři Brejcha, owner of Jiři Brejcha–Kočárová doprava, another carriage company, had similar motives. "I originally started in this business due to [family] traditions," he says. "My forebears did this line of work, so it seemed natural for me to do the same. It runs in my veins."

When Brejcha started he found himself competing with over 100 other Czechs. Kočovský remembers what an utter mess so many vendors created in the city. "During the first couple of years, it was chaotic. Imagine that many horses and carriages clogging up everywhere."

The resulting confusion and snarled traffic forced the authorities to step in. "To bring order to the Prague 1 district in 1991, [the city] held a selection process where they screened all the carriages," he says. "Twenty carriages passed."

Today, there are 13 independent horse-drawn transport companies with 22 licensed carriages operating in the city — all of which have been here since the fall of communism.

Kočovský is also president of the Guild of Horse-Carriage Drivers, an organization founded in 1991 to deal diplomatically with city and government authorities.

Since then the number of licensed carriages has been limited to 22, closing the guild completely to new members until someone retires. So far no one has.

Brejcha says that though it's a small business, it's a tough one. "I have already invested a lot of money and time into this business — too much to start all over again with something new."

For 39-year-old Zbyněk Polák, who has worked for Pony Travel since 1994, driving horse-drawn carriages has become a full-time career. "Someone who hasn't got a special relationship with horses could not do this job. I enjoy working with horses, even though the pay is just average," he says.

Jan Šlajs, spokesman for Prague 1 Town Hall, says the industry adds a great deal of character to Prague. "We believe the horse-drawn carriages belong to the city's local color. It's also an attraction for tourists."

The city governs the business and sets standards for keeping the streets clean and unobstructed. "We do set a limit for the number of carriages operating here to keep the practice orderly, unlike in Vienna, for example, where they have 55 carriages or so on the streets every day. Of course, there will always be a certain amount of odor involved. There are some problems, but they are minor."

The commitment of owners and drivers to the business parallels that of the city: The Guild of Horse-Carriage Drivers requires members to follow strict rules governing the care of horses and workload.

Even if the industry's popularity is based on its Old World charm, guild members recognize the need to upgrade services to meet safety and environmental requirements. Their old-fashioned carriages feature up-to-date braking systems, and rubber is applied to horseshoes to prevent slipping. The guild also provides members with a urine filter system to eliminate much of the Old World aroma horses normally provide.

Although every carriage operator knows they must follow guild rules to maintain their license, members often take traffic regulations less seriously. City authorities discourage drivers from operating on streets with trams or crossing the Vltava River but Kočovský argues that following all the rules would be impossible.

"If we are driving for a wedding, it is not realistic to assume we won't pass roads with trams. ... It is not likely that we will always be able to follow the rules; the truth is that we operate all over the city and go any requested [route] except highways."

In reality, the city does tolerate carriages sharing streets with trams, says Šlajs, as long as they don't block public transport. "We are satisfied with the way the carriages behave in this regard. There are no complaints."