Roundup practices are what made horse-drawn carriages possible in the first place. These carriages have always upset me. Horses are beautiful, galloping creatures that are meant to run in the wild. You can see in their eyes how miserable they are going alongside traffic, dealing with the noise, and not to mention the huge chance of collision. It's dangerous for both humans and the horses. This video illustrates my point:
I feel certain that it wasn't in God's plan to have these magnificent creatures that were meant to run in the wild live their lives this way. They are slaves...no freedom, no life, no joy.
Carriages are still popular in New York. I'm grateful to other tourist cities like Biloxi, Palm Beach, Key West, Paris and London, who are sophisticated enough to have already banned horse-drawn carriages. New York is considering the ban and I'm wondering what their hesitation is. There is a great speech given by veterinarian, Holly Cheever, at an event called "Yay or Neigh: Should the carriage industry be banned in NYC?". I've posted bits and pieces from her presentation below, but you can see the whole thing and get more info HERE.
RESPIRATORY DISEASE - horses working in traffic lanes are constantly nose-to-tailpipe, and show corresponding respiratory impairment
LAMENESS is a major problem for horses who must pound the city streets' unnaturally hard, concussive surfaces, especially since the majority are not given adequate farrier care and since many horses come into this industry with preexisting injuries or arthritis incurred in their previous uses on race tracks or Amish farms.
HEAT PROSTRATION is seen in many cities in the northern temperate zone and has been the leading cause of death in the carriage horse populations of New York, Atlanta, and Boston. Since New York City's asphalt surfaces have reached temperatures of 200 degrees Fahrenheit as reported in the New York Times, keeping horses sufficiently cool on hot summer days becomes impossible. The low end of the scale should include a wind chill factor for the obvious reason that all mammals are more susceptible to hypothermia when wind chill is present.
"SPOOKING" can happen to even the best trained and well-mannered horse. Their evolution as herbivores (i.e. prey animals) has conditioned them to bolt first and consider the situation later, dictating the need for the driver to be constantly in contact with the horse's head, whether by holding the reins securely from the carriage box or by standing at the horse's head with the reins in hand.
Here's what we can do to help move this ban forward:
• This Friday, March 12th!! You can make a difference! The New York City Council’s Consumer Affairs Committee is holding a public hearing. They will address several horse carriage bills like the NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets) bill which the NYLHV (New York League of Human Voters) has been working on for well over a year. The NYCLASS bill seeks to phase out the horse carriages over three years and replace them with the 21st Century eco-friendly, horseless carriage. This new industry offers the current horse carriage drivers high paying union jobs, establishes accountability measures to ensure a safe and fair industry, makes the City a leader in eco-tourism, and retires the current carriage horses to farms and sanctuaries!
• You can attend the hearing and even speak at it. Check out their facebook page for the hearing HERE. And if you can't make it, click HERE to send a fax to your City Council Member urging support for the NYCLASS bill and opposing the horse carriage industry’s undeserved fare increase bill.
• Visit the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and educate yourself. You will also find a petition on the site that you can sign to try and end this.
• The most effective way to put a stop to this is to contact your local legislator and ask if they will sponsor a ban. Whether you are a New Yorker or not you can also contact the mayor's office. Additionally, you can contact New York City counsel members and ask them to support Intro 658-A, the bill to ban horse drawn carriages and to oppose Intro 653-A the industry bill.
• You can sign this petition on the PETA website in conjunction with singer Pink's fight to end horse-drawn carriages. Pink is working hard to end this.
And finally, If you want that horse-carriage feel, why not go for the guys/gals on the bike taxis?! They want to do the job, they choose to do the job, and they always look so happy riding around! It's better than a taxi in terms of gas and such, and sorta has that same carriage-y vibe.
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- 83 Responses
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- Katie Christensen
- Mar 13, 2010
- 76
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- kittyTNRchick
- Mar 14, 2010
- 77
Walter,
When an industry wants to cut corners they will, no matter what specific laws and regulations are on the books. I wish it was that simple to tell businesses they have to do x, y, and z and they would comply. But sadly this usually just isn't the case especially where the needs of animals are concerned.
You mentioned that we are in a recession and that it wasn't time to be throwing people into the unemployment lines. From what I understand this is a phase out type of ban where it will still be three years time before horse carriages would even be banned in NYC. And not only that, the people who currently work for this industry in NY are offered a job with the union behind them.
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- Vanessa Miller
- Mar 14, 2010
- 78
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- Jessica Yousaf
- Mar 17, 2010
- 79
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- Brittany Cameron
- Oct 21, 2010
- 80
I just to dont get it, i mean, people have legs, they have hands. so why not just use them..
its aot more, and even more exititing to see, watch, and stop along the way to just walk.. Very heathy to do so...
so thats why horeses should be free, not be held on a carrage
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- farmgirl
- Nov 2, 2010
- 81
I totally agree with Jen CG!
Not all animal “use” is abuse!!
We also have had Belgian horses on our farm all our lives. What would you like us to do with them? Leave them cooped up in their stalls 24/7?
These boys love to drive! It is what they were bred for, and you do not see the love and care that they get behind the scenes. Horses have been ridden and driven for millions of years! If our horses are left in the pasture a few days without being hitch up and going for what for them is a ride, they are waiting at the gate for us, whinnying and ready to go! Horse are also used to all seasons and weather! they get thick winter coats and love tromping through the snow! They get plenty of healthy food and water. The events are only a small part of what they do. Obviously there may be some business men who are in it for the money and do not love or care about the horses but that comes in all professions and should not give everyone the bad rap. After saying all this however, I have never been to New York and seen first-hand the state of the industry there... I just want to say... all horse and carriages, and people who are into horses are not evil and bad. in fact its quite the opposite.
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- farmgirl
- Nov 2, 2010
- 82
Not all animal “use” is abuse!!
We also have had Belgian horses on our farm all our lives. What would you like us to do with them? Leave them cooped up in their stalls 24/7?
These boys love to drive! It is what they were bred for, and you do not see the love and care that they get behind the scenes. Horses have been ridden and driven for millions of years! If our horses are left in the pasture a few days without being hitched up and going for what to them is a leisurely walk they are waiting at the gate for us, whinnying and ready to go! Horse are also used to all seasons and weather! they get thick winter coats and love tromping through the snow! They get plenty of healthy food and water. The events are only a small part of what they do. Obviously there may be some business men who are in it for the money and do not love or care about the horses but that comes in all professions and should not give everyone the bad rap. After saying all this however, I have never been to New York and seen first-hand the state of the industry there... I just want to say... all horse and carriages, and people who are into horses are not evil and bad. in fact its quite the opposite.
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- catconsrv
- Nov 3, 2010
- 83
farmgirl, there is no way that you can equate a few events to the horses in NY that do this all day everyday. Horses are not made to stand on cement or asphalt all day long, it is extremely bad for them! Plus, I see them out there in the heat of the summer with a bunch of people loaded into the carriage and they do not look happy at all! We have them here in Philly too and I feel so bad. They are in the middle of the city with all of those cars, buses, and people and it must be so stressful. That's like saying that it is okay to race horses because they like to run. They don't like to run like that!
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