I've wanted them to ban horse-drawn carriages in Chicago for as long as I can remember. Everyone needs to realize that they are not here to entertain us. They are not here for us period.

I'm SO INCREDIBLY happy to hear that this bill is being introduced.  I've always felt the way you have, Alicia, when I see those magnificent creatures tied up, gaunt and by all accounts miserable, only to drag people around a park.  It's a disgrace to New York, a disgrace to the USA, a disgrace to human and animal kind alike.

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the ways its animals are treated." --Mahatma Gandhi

I signed the petitions.  I can't stand that people think it's fun to ride in a horse drawn carriage.  How oblivous do you have to be to not recognize that the horses are miserable.  I hope the ban goes through. 

On a side note I have to say I love Pink!   I like her music and I love her animal rights stance! 

I signed the petition and tweeted - thanks for posting.

Wow, this was something I had never thought about before reading this post.  I am so horrified now that my eyes have been opened.  I will definitely sign this petition.

Finally!  This absolutley breaks my heart.

A literal example of nonhuman slavery. One of the numerous aspects of animal cruelty. Here in Montreal not only do we have horse drawn carriages in the Old Port, we now have police riding horses, patrolling the party streets. Not cool.

I live outside of a city in Canada where they still have them and it breaks my heart every time I see them. When ever I go into the city and am near them and no one is looking I give them a quick hug and scritch. No one can convince me its not cruel.

Oh Alicia, I agree! 

I live in Amish Country, PA and everytime I see the Amish with their buggies- I cringe!  At our local Susquehannock Indian Museum (non -exploitive and only historical as Susquehannock Indians no longer are around) We once encountered an Amish family arriving in a buggy.  I was about to go about my visit to the museum with my family, when I realized how horribly the man was treating his horse.  In 90 degree weather, the man tied the horse to a tree with NO WATER... NO FEED BAG... and ALONE.  They left the horse so they could walk along the river with out a thought of that gentle being that provided them with their transportation.  Some others who saw this were also disgusted with the absurdity of this. 

I truly feel that as Americans, we have the right to our own practice of religion but when you start treating your animals like the family station wagon- I just think that is rotten!
(Hope that this wasn't too overly critical of the Amish in general- just an incident I encountered)

I TOTALLY agree! There are people out there who are perfectly willing to taxi other people around. The horses do not have a choice! It saddens me because Central Park is one of my favorite places to visit on a weekend, but it breaks my heart to see all the horse-drawn carriages in the park. I whole heartedly support the ban

I WILL DEFINITELY BE AT CITY HALL DURING THIS HEARING..I AM PRAYING THAT GOOD NEWS WILL SURFACE!

Every time I see a car on the road I cringe. Can we ban those first? It's not the horse that's causing the pollution and traffic deaths.

Another animal rights issue that needs urgent attention, is the pending decision to lift the world wide trading ban on ivory. There was a tweet earlier today about it,here is the link to sign the petition:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/no_more_bloody_ivory_fb/?cl=499990201&v=5561

I signed the petition.  I have always been heartbroken by the horses subjected to such treatment.  I can't imagine anyone thinking horse drawn carriages are humane.  A great point was made that these carriages might have been a good means of transportation in the 1800s, but let's leave "nostalgia" where it belongs, in the past.

I live in St. Louis, and they still have the horse-drawn carriages downtown.  They always look sad and just so TIRED.  It gets very hot here in the summer, and I cannot imagine what their poor legs must feel like, walking on that hot surface, let alone being exposed to all the car exhaust.  Makes me very sad.