Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Traffic and Other Risks to Carriage Horses

New York City carriage horses must travel up to 2 miles each way in heavy traffic to and from their cramped and dirty stables. And it certainly is true that this city never sleeps.

An equally serious health risk is colic--the #1 cause of death in horses. More than $115 million a year is spent on costs associated with loss of use, treatment, and death resulting from colic.

Unfortunately for New York's carriage horses, the risk of potentially deadly colic is higher for horses who do not have turnout and don't get adequate water--conditions that were observed among NYC carriage horses and described in the 2007 city comptroller's audit of the horse-drawn carriage industry.

Eating at irregular intervals or eating poorly (ie, grains) are known to contribute to equine colic, and stall confinement also contributes to a horse's risk of developing colic--the presumptive cause in the February 2008 death of Clancy, an 8-year-old New York City Carriage horse. The city health department refused to disclose the cause of Clancy's death, forcing the ASPCA to file a Freedom of Information Act to obtain the records.


Learn more about appropriate care of horses
Read about the inconsistencies that were revealed in the city audit of the industry (2007)
Agencies entrusted with oversight have "dropped the ball" (City Comptroller William C. Thompson as quoted by The New York Times, Sept. 6, 2007)
Humane Society of the United States: Latest death underscores importance of a ban (Feb. 14, 2008)
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) supports a ban
(December 2007)
Why a ban on horse-drawn carriages is needed: Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

Have You Witnessed Abuse?

Friends of horses are everywhere, and they take the time to raise important questions. As comments from the Friends of Animals Web site demonstrate, visitors to New York City are saddened when they see the way that the horses are treated. Fathima took the time to write to Friends of Animals.

I am currently in New York visiting from South Africa. Walking South from 65th Str down past Central Park I passed a horse & carriage with the driver who put a bucket of oats in front of the horse. As the horse started to eat a few oats starting falling out of the bucket, this seemed to annoy the driver as he cussed, then pulled the bucket away and slapped the horse. This is so sad to see. Animals are here to live with us in a harmonious existence however many humans have forgotten this and treat animals disrespectfully. The problem lies within us and we need to take ownership of this and make a difference through education and changing environments for the betterment of animals and us in a respectful co-existence. I fully support the approach to ban horse-drawn carriages in this city. This environment of traffic, congestion, noise & concrete is just not suitable for horses to live in. Please join us in supporting this much needed cause. Namaste.
--Fathima, Jan. 13, 2007

If you visit New York City and observe the substandard condition of the carriage horses, either around Central Park or in city traffic as they travel to the stables (up to 2 miles away), please make your voice heard. Leave a comment on this blog, write a letter to The New York Times and other newspapers, and call the mayor's office (212-NEW-YORK for non-city residents, 311 for NYC residents). Please
make known your request that horse-drawn carriages be banned in New York City, through legislation (Intro. 658/2007)--because the industry is inherently inhumane.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Expert Opinion: Holly Cheever, DVM (2008)

Read a letter from Holly Cheever, DVM, as published in Metro (New York)

To the Editor:
As an equine veterinarian who has inspected New
York City's carriage horses since 1988 and has also
advised 15 other municipalities and states on how to
create humane carriage horse operations, I am
ashamed to say that New York's version of its
horse-drawn tourist attraction is by far the worst in
terms of the number of unexplained deaths and the grim
conditions under which the horses live and work.
The current regulations fail to protect these horse
in their stables and on the streets. They are dying in
unacceptable numbers and at very young ages, though
the public is never made aware of this fact.
Currently, the best that can be said of New York's
operating conditions is that they may be
survivable--barely--but they are never humane. Please
urge the City Council to vote for a permanent ban on
horse-drawn carriages, and eliminate this cruel 19th
century anachronism from our 21st century setting.

Holly Cheever, DVM
Voorneesville, NY
February 26, 2008

Holly Cheever is an equine veterinarian, educated at Harvard University and the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University. She has a lifetime of experience in horse management, including the driving of carriage horses. Since 1988, she has been the primary equine adviser for 15 other municipalities and states (including New York) that have sought knowledgeable assistance either to ban carriage horses from operating in their cities or to devise protective codes and legislation to prevent the all-too-common animal abuse that occurs in this industry.


Monday, February 25, 2008

Grow a Conscience, Jessica Lappin

I really wanted to like City Council Member Jessica Lappin. What a savvy move to host a mini "Upper Green Side" sustainability conference on February 25. Yep, that's the Upper East Side, soon to become a methane-producing landfill and veritable asthma factory. The panelists were only a bit self-promotional and had some good information (we have to do much better with our paper recycling, and that includes the roll at the center of your paper towels!)

Q&A: This is where the deer got caught in the headlights. After the panelists had given their individual spiels, the stammering and stuttering began. What to do if you break a mercury-filled compact fluorescent light bulb? DON'T VACUUM IT! Open a window and run for the hills! Then come back, throw a wet cloth over the mess, gather it up, put it into a sealable plastic bag, and throw it in the freezer for the next 20 years until we figure it out! Oh, and maybe sue Al Gore. Chuckles all around. No one had much sensible information in the Q&A. This is where it came off the tracks.

The unflappable Ms. Lappin got a bit flustered herself when asked about Intro. 658, Tony Avella's bill to ban horse-drawn carriages. "Um...I think the horses ...uh...should be treated better...ahh...but I absolutely ...ummm...don't support a ban. Horse-drawn carriages are such a...ummm...big part of the city." Or some such. She also misled the audience by saying that she had replied to everyone who had contacted her in support of Intro. 658. Now, I would not question the truthfulness of a council member, but maybe her recollection is not clear. A few in the crowd piped up and asked WHY she doesn't support a ban, and said that the conditions can't be made safe for the horses. Right on cue, she neatly ended the line of questioning and moved on to the more pressing matter of how best to recycle an oily pizza box.

The facts are incontrovertible: The horse-drawn carriage trade in New York City is inherently inhumane, which is why the proposed ban (Intro. 658) is supported by numerous organizations of every bent: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Humane Society of the United States, Friends of Animals, and so many others. I might point that the ASPCA and HSUS did not always support a full ban, until the evidence could no longer be ignored, in 2007.

Despite what I saw at the sustainability summit, I do hold out hope for Jessica Lappin. I once thought the same way she did about horse-drawn carriages. In fact, it's a very popular sentiment--the most common one that I encounter when I do my outreach work. The cure for sitting on the fence is information--and it is readily available. It is wrong to make an uniformed decision, and the information costs you nothing.

My impression of Ms. Lappin is that she is very young--perhaps not fully formed as a human being yet. (Yes, you read correctly). When she grows up, I hope she has the courage of her convictions and can distinguish herself and differentiate herself from those in power, the ones who control the budget lines. In politics, you can't please everyone. Those who earn my respect have integrity and courage to do the right thing--even in the face of opposition.

I spoke a few weeks ago with her legislative director. I was told that Ms. Lappin definitely favors "more accountability, not less" in the carriage trade. That being the case, and if Ms. Lappin reviews the facts, there is no way she can support anything less than an outright ban. The worst thing would be to support the complete lack of accountability that the trade is lobbying for in the form of "independent oversight." At a huge cost to the taxpayers, no less.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Seven Months Later, Where's the Water?

For some people the New York City comptroller's audit of the carriage industry last summer was the first they'd heard of the substandard care of the horses. As we know, and as the audit revealed to the public, the city has largely abandoned its responsibility to the horses. The report by Comptroller William C. Thompson chronicled the abuses: The horses don't have adequate drinking water, even in sweltering summer heat. They are forced to stand in their own waste. No turnout, either. Lax veterinary care was cited, as were infrequent inspections that create health hazards.

Seven months later, where is the water? The horses' need for water is critical year-round, but the troughs in Central Park are turned off. Sometimes after a storm they're icy--and sometimes they're used as trash receptacles.

Elizabeth Forel, president of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, writes in New York Metro of this lapse, which represents a violation of New York state anti-cruelty laws and a serious lapse in judgment. Regardless of your opinion on the state of the city's carriage trade, wouldn't you agree--the horses need water?

Read a compelling viewpoint: "You Can Lead a Horse to Water, If There Is Any" (Feb. 21, 2008)
Photo used courtesy of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

What's So Bad About Horse-Drawn Carriages?

Friends of horses are everywhere, and they take the time to raise important questions. As comments from the Friends of Animals Web site demonstrate, visitors to New York City are saddened when they see the way that the horses are treated. Fathima wrote:

I am currently in New York visiting from South Africa. Walking South from 65th Str down past Central Park I passed a horse & carriage with the driver who put a bucket of oats in front of the horse. As the horse started to eat a few oats starting falling out of the bucket, this seemed to annoy the driver as he cussed, then pulled the bucket away and slapped the horse. This is so sad to see. Animals are here to live with us in a harmonious existence however many humans have forgotten this and treat animals disrespectfully. The problem lies within us and we need to take ownership of this and make a difference through education and changing environments for the betterment of animals and us in a respectful co-existence. I fully support the approach to ban horse-drawn carriages in this city. This environment of traffic, congestion, noise & concrete is just not suitable for horses to live in. Please join us in supporting this much needed cause. Namaste.
--Fathima, Jan. 13, 2007

If you visit New York City and observe the substandard condition of the carriage horses, either around Central Park or in city traffic as they travel to the stables (up to 2 miles away), please make your voice heard. Leave a comment on this blog, write a letter to The New York Times and other newspapers, and call the mayor's office and make known your request that horse-drawn carriages be banned in New York City, through legislation (Intro. 658/2007).

Friday, February 22, 2008

Special Shoes, Indeed

Are these the kind of "special shoes" that you were talking about, Carolyn, when you responded to Pink's "Buck Cruelty" billboard in Times Square?

Chester Elliot has a happy ending but used to be a Boston carriage horse. Like the horses in New York City, Boston carriage horses wear 1-inch thick heavy steel work shoes with a cleat at the heels and toes for grip. Notably, this steel shoe lends the distinctive "clip clop" sound that apparently generates tourist dollars. Chester's hoof (seen in photo above) suffered from thrush, which is not uncommon in carriage horses who don't get turnout, stand in filth all night, and pound the pavement repeatedly.

The thrush, which occurred inside Chester Elliot's hooves, was worsened by poor grooming during his carriage horse days (his belly was also matted with urine stains). His steel shoes restricted the circulation to his hooves; his pavement-pounding work further complicated the condition, creating a microbial soup inside his hoof. (ie, "hoof rot.")

Chester Elliot photo is used courtesy of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages (Happy Endings).
Although Chester Elliot was not a NYC carriage horse, his condition is a common one and the photo of his foot ailment is descriptive. Lameness and hoof deterioration are commonly seen in carriage horses, equine veterinarian Holly Cheever, DVM, has written. Chester Elliott's story is similar to that of so many rescued carriage horses. Read more

Extreme Rhetoric

Carolyn Daly and carriage drivers love to invoke one particular image: that of the "extremists" who are seeking to ban horse-drawn carriages. We keep asking, "Why this kind of language?" Is this kind of label their best tactic to distract, divert, and discredit? After all, we still don't know what happened to Clancy, the horse who died in his stable earlier this month. It may never be disclosed, because the ASPCA was forced to file a Freedom of Information Act to obtain the records.

Petitions, flyers, letters: These are the tactics that we use every day in an effort to educate the public about the plight of New York City carriage horses. Seven months have passed since the city audit found that drinking water was scarce for the horses, even in the blistering heat of summer. And still no drinking water. Inadequate water poses extremely serious health risks for a horse year-round, as equine veterinarians have explained repeatedly to the New York City Council and to Mayor Bloomberg. Colic in a horse can be fatal--and is associated with poor water intake. The troughs in Central Park are dry or full of ice or rubbish.

Questions? Learn more about why this industry is inherently inhumane, and then get involved. Start by visiting the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, where you can read expert opinions and review the reasons why the legislation to ban horse-drawn carriages was introduced by Tony Avella in December 2007. Understand the issues that are being debated. Only then can you make an informed decision.

Note: Iraqi insurgents used a horse and cart in a fatal bomb attack in Baghdad, killing the horse and at least one person. This is tragic, and "extremist" is not a word to be taken lightly. (Feb. 23, 2008)

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Call Now, Help the Horses!

It only takes a minute! Please call your New York City Council member this week (February 19, 20, and 21) and urge your representative to support Tony Avella's groundbreaking legislation (Intro. 658) to ban horse-drawn carriages. This measure would protect horses and the public.

Not a NY resident? Please call Mayor Michael Bloomberg at 212-NEW-YORK and urge him to support the ban. Be sure he knows that this decision may affect your tourism choices. Mention that when you do visit, you hate to see the horses suffer by having to travel up to 2 miles in heavy traffic (and not having enough drinking water, and working in excessive heat and cold and inclement weather). Urge the mayor NOT to wait for another horse to die--the time is now to put an end to this cruel trade.

Poor oversight of the industry was documented in a city audit (September 2007). The horses also suffer debilitating hoof and leg ailments, live a "nose-to-tailpipe" existence and breathe in toxic exhaust fumes that are associated with severe equine lung disease, and often "spook" and are involved in gruesome accidents. This is what happened in September to Smoothie, and this month 8-year-old Clancy died in his stall from causes than haven't been released--the city health department is refusing to cooperate with the ASPCA's request for information.

Your phone call this week will mean a great deal to the success of this campaign. Call now!

Did you know? The carriage industry has hired two lobbyists and a PR person. Last week, two drivers--Ian McKeever and Patrick Byrne were seen at a "meet and greet" at City Hall along with one of the lobbyists. They're making sure their voices are heard. Make your own voice heard this week!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Dismal Working, Living Conditions

Which is the worst stable for New York City's carriage horses? It's difficult to say.

After viewing video of the West Side Livery stable for WCBS-TV, equine veterinarian Elizabeth Kilgallon said that some of the horses look crammed into standing stalls so tight they can't turn around or lie down. The horses also seemed to be standing in their own urine, manure and on very little bedding, WCBS-TV reported in November 2007.

Read "Carriage Horse Industry at at Crossroad" (WCBSTV.com, November 2007)

Photo of an unspecified New York City stable; used courtesy of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

Saturday, February 16, 2008

From the Archives: A Visitor's Account (2007)

"I was leaving Central Park with my family when we noticed a horse drawn carriage at the light. When the horse started walking it was limping. We got the driver's attention, he looked over thinking we wanted to hire him. I told him his horse was hurt and he looked away and continued down the street. It was obvious he didn't care. He would lose money if he had to park the horse. This is a highly abusive situation."
Read the full commentary from Otis11 (12.17.07) on his visit to Manhattan
Read the Newsweek article "Tradition or Cruelty?" (2007)

Ice Doesn't Count as Drinking Water

No public water readily available, poor hoof care

The treatment of NYC carriage horses is disgraceful for many reasons, apart from the fundamental danger of putting them into traffic.

Holly Cheever, DVM and renowned equine expert, has inspected the horses at work and in their stables, after which she advised Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council on what she found: a comprehensive and alarming inventory of poor treatment. Notably, she found that the horses were deprived of adequate water and proper hoof care (although Carolyn Daly has made the smarmy quip about their "special" shoes.)

Here is a portion of Holly Cheever's letter about the care of NYC carriages horses:

"During the several years that I inspected New York's carriage horses on the street and in their stables at the request of the ASPCA and the Carriage Horse Action Committee, I noted repeated violations of basic humane equine husbandry and care principles, as follows:
  • The horses were not given adequate water during their work shifts since no public water is readily available to them, and most were denied the basic presence of water buckets in their stalls.
  • Many horses were afforded inadequate hoof care and shoeing, adding to their likelihood of developing or exacerbating lameness."
Even more recently, the New York City comptroller's audit in September 2007 found similarly distressing problems. The audit specifically noted a lack of drinking water for the horses and said they were forced to stand in their own waste because of inadequate drainage.

Time to ban horse-drawn carriages, as many major cities worldwide have done. Call-in days are coming up on February 19, 20, and 21. During these days, it is critical that you let your City Council representative hear from you. Ask them to support Intro. 658, the bill to ban horse-drawn carriages.

Find your New York City Council Member
Read Holly Cheever's letter to Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council (2006)
Read about the NYC Comptroller's audit of the carriage-horse industry (2007)
Photo used courtesy of The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

A Rose by Any Other Name, Revisited

It's both funny and tedious to watch Carolyn Daly blether on about how activists are "extremists." As she knows, it's a Machiavellian tactic to get a rise and to avoid the real issue: cruelty. Others accomplish the same objectives by ridiculing the term "animal rights."

Technically, they're right. As a professional communicator who knows the finer points of rhetoric, I am a professional smart-aleck. For example, "murder" is a legal term; no murder has taken place until a jury has convicted someone of murder. You could say the same of "animal rights." Rights are something of a legal entity, in aggregate.

Whatever. So, let's stay on topic. Systematic abuse of animals is unacceptable in a civil society. Fundamental protections are necessary and appropriate. Is New York City so backwards that it sanctions cruelty, right out in the open? For some lousy, cash-only business that predates the automobile? For a business that is lobbying for LESS acountability, not more, in Intro. 653? How many accidents go unreported? What are the criteria for "accidents," anyway?

Friday, February 15, 2008

Short on Fact, Long on Hyperbole

Carolyn Daly is the ever-articulate, slick public relations professional who was hired by the horse-drawn carriage industry, along with two lobbyists for the industry.

When I get discouraged, I think of some of the goofier Carolyn Daly quotes, which are good for belly laugh. Maybe we should borrow a page from her playbook and take to calling people names. Here's my list of "Top 10 Dumb Quotes From Carolyn":

10. The death of Smoothie in September 2007 was "a freak accident."
9. Most New Yorkers are tired "of this small group of animal extremists who just won’t shut up.
8. The activists are “extremely delusional.”
7. “They continue to have a mean-spirited, negative approach to everything they do.”
6. (Tony) Avella "is the one who should be put out to pasture."
5. We [the industry, its PR executive, and 2 lobbyists) care deeply for each and every one of them." [the horses]
4. "This is just a cheap publicity program he is running on the backs of these horses."*
3. "Calling for a ban on a working-class NYC industry that is 100 years old and highly popular with tourists and New Yorkers and considered 100 percent humane by all licensed animal welfare groups and agencies for a few cheap headlines is the real horse manure."
2. “It’s Valentine’s Day. Go out with your boyfriend. Meet your husband for dinner. Love a horse. But no, not them. They’re outside, as usual, talking to deaf ears.”
And the No. 1 dumbest quote (of the last 3 months) from Carolyn Daly is:
1. “A true Stupid Girl is one who talks publicly about something she knows nothing about. They have specialized shoes for concrete."

*She's right about this (#3). Unlike the horse-drawn carriage industry, we extremely delusional activists don't have the funds to hire fancy public relations people and lobbyists. We just hand out flyers.

The next time your boss proposes something ridiculous, answer back like a fancy PR professional and "trot" out some embarrassing cliches. Say, "That's lot of of horse manure!"

Thursday, February 14, 2008

You May Be an Extremist If ...


1) You engage in outrageous behaviors, such as attending peaceful demonstrations!
2) You care about animal protection issues!
3) You participate in civic processes and contact elected city officials with concerns and suggestions
4) You see Valentine's Day as an opportunity to reach tourists with information about the carriage horse industry, which is fundamentally inhumane
5) You were labeled as an extremist by Carolyn Daly, the flack hired by the carriage industry to spin the stories just so!

Photo credit: Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

So that's what extremists look like!

Read the biased New York Times article (what the hell is going on at the Times?)



What's the Deal with Speaker Christine Quinn?

Today I received an email message from New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who took the time from her busy day to reply to my letter. I had written some time ago and urged her to support Intro. 658, Tony Avella's bill to ban horse-drawn carriages.

She basically said the city has the situation under control, but thanks for caring.

I replied to her that she clearly doesn't understand the issues, which I delineated for her.

Speaker Quinn has demonstrated repeatedly that she doesn't understand or doesn't care about animal protection issues, having earned a grade of 0 on the 2007 Humane Scorecard released by the League of Humane Voters. Yet she describes her self as an animal rights supporter.

Love, Alice

Dear Carolyn Daly,
If you think that childish name-calling is going to change anything, you are in for a wee surprise! How stupid do you think people are? How do you think it looks that the carriage industry has hired two lobbyists and a flack? And yet, we are left in the dark about the death last week of Clancy in his stable on the West Side. The city has forced the ASPCA to file a Freedom of Information Act request to get the veterinary records!!! HOW PATHETIC IS THIS???
Carolyn, were you quoted accurately when you are referred to peaceful demonstrators and activists as "animal extremists who just won’t shut up"? Is that your best flackery? And the kicker: “It’s Valentine’s Day. Go out with your boyfriend. Meet your husband for dinner. Love a horse. But no, not them. They’re outside, as usual, talking to deaf ears.”

Who could make this stuff up?

Monday, February 11, 2008

Another Inelegant Death

Remembering Clancy
Tonight, four days after the horse died in his stall at the Clinton Park Stables, we have only the most threadbare facts about him. Clancy was his name, he was an 8-year-old Draft Percheron, and he hadn't worked in a few days. He was found dead on Feb. 7 around 10 p.m., and the Department of Health reported the death to the ASPCA the following afternoon.

That's about all we know; the circumstances of how Clancy died remain a mystery. The New York City Department of Health has refused the request by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals to obtain Clancy's veterinary records.

Instead the ASPCA was told to file a Freedom of Information Act request for the records, a development that ASPCA President & CEO Ed Sayres said was unprecedented.

"ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement agents have never before been asked to file a FOIA request in order to obtain records that would help to determine whether or not an animal's death is due to an act of cruelty," Sayres said in a news release. An FOIA request can be an extremely long process.

"We’re being stonewalled by City government,” Sayres said. The ASPCA is authorized by the Attorney General to enforce animal cruelty laws in New York state.

Godspeed, Clancy.


SUPPORT Intro. 658, the bill introduced by Tony Avella to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC. It is urgent that you hold your city council representative accountable--no more sitting on the fence in view of this development.

We may never know why Clancy died. For the sake of other horses, please support the ban (Intro 658).

Truly, this is disgraceful. The industry apparently is conspiring to keep this death very quiet--almost no media coverage. The AP's so-called story is little more than a industry ad. Yikes, things have gone downhill over at The Associated Press!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

shhhhh... Horses at Work

"Trying to limit noise that may startle horses on the margins of the park is like trying to stop birds from singing in the hinterlands. It's folly."
Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, supports Intro. 658 that would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City
Read "Big Apple Bustle No Place for Horses" (Wayne's blog, Sept. 2007)
Read "Investigating the Death of Smoothie" (New York Times/City Room, Sept. 17, 2007). Smoothie, the carriage horse that darted onto the sidewalk, was spooked by a drumming sound.
Read "What Are the NY Authorities Waiting For?" from the Toronto Humane Society, another vigorous advocate of a ban horse-drawn carriages

Notes From the Heartland: Ohio Accidents

Unfortunately, the Ohio Department of Transportation knows about spooked horses.
  • "Ohio reports, on average, more than 120 buggy accidents a year"
  • "When approaching and passing a horse-drawn vehicle, remember that horses are unpredictable and even the most road-safe horse can spook at a fast-moving motor vehicle"
Read the "Amish Safety" fact sheet on the Ohio DOT Web Site

New York City residents: Ask your City Council member to Support Intro. 658 to ban horse-drawn carriages

From the Archives: Death on the Vineyard

A West Tisbury, Mass., woman was killed in 2006 when her horse spooked and bolted, throwing her and her husband from the riding cart that the horse was pulling.
This tragic story demonstrates yet again that horses spook at the slightest sound or provocation, even when being handled by their owners or in familiar surroundings.
Read the Martha's Vineyard Times story (published Nov. 16, 2006)



Saturday, February 9, 2008

Expert Opinion - Colic

"Horses with colic may need either medical or surgical treatments. Almost all require some form of medical treatment."--Merck Veterinary Manual, Colic in Horses

A New York City carriage died in its stable on Friday, February 8, and colic is said to be the presumptive cause. Colic is a major cause of death in adult horses, and a cause for ongoing vigilance. David Freeman, a specialist equine veterinarian at the University of Oklahoma, has cautioned that periods of intense exercise followed by periods when the horse is simply standing around--coupled with limits on the horse's access to small and infrequent amounts of water--increase risks of colic as well as heat stroke.

A horse with colic may show symptoms, the most of common of which include pawing repeatedly with a front foot, looking back at the flank region, curling the upper lip and arching the neck, repeatedly raising a rear leg or kicking at the abdomen.

The manifestations of colic--and the clinical evaluation of the extent of the disorder--are extremely complex. Yet the clinical examination is essential, owing partly to the necessity to differentiate colic from acute obstruction. Horses have relatively small stomachs, and they can neither vomit nor regurgitate, according to clinical texts. Caretakers must maintain a high index of suspicion for potentially deadly disorders such as colic. This requires keen insight. (And you've got to like horses, too.)

We are told repeatedly that the New York City horses are well tended, have plenty of water and high-quality food, and lotsa love. We're even supposed to believe that the horses get farm vacations.
Carolyn, was a vet even called? (No, I mean before the horse died in agony). I look forward to hearing your fancy version of this story. Here's a hint: it happened at the Clinton Park Stables on W. 52nd Street.

I have a morbid curiosity, and so I took a stroll along Central Park South today, looking for signs of drinking water. Why don't you do the same? Heck, let's all take a walk and check out the drinking water.

Council Member Charles Barron Signs On

More Support For Intro. 658

City Councilman Charles Barron is the latest to sign on to co-sponsor Intro. 658, the bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. He joins Carmen Del Arroyo, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Miguel Martinez, Rosie Mendez, and Annabel Palma as current co-sponsors of the bill that was introduced by Tony Avella in December.

Your help is needed. Let your Council Member hear from you. Find Your Council Member
February 19, 20, and 21 are scheduled "Call-In Days"--make your voice heard!
The message: Support Intro. 658, the bill to ban horse-drawn carriages--because this is an industry that is inherently cruel and unsafe.


Horses Spook, Chapter II (Brixton)

The horse got spooked, the coffin got dragged, mourners were mortified.

During a funeral procession in the UK (Brixton, London), the funeral car had pulled in sharply ahead of the horse-drawn carriage; this may have caused one of the horses to bolt. The groomswoman was thrown from the carriage and was reported to have suffered a broken arm.


Again, how is it a good idea to have horses working in New York City traffic? Support Intro. 658 (the measure introduced by Councilman Tony Avella) to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC.

New York City residents, your help is urgently needed! Ask your City Council representative to support Intro. 658 (and to oppose industry bills Intro. 652 and Intro. 653). Find your council member - click here

Read "Spooked Horses Bolt at a Funeral" (South London Press, Feb. 8, 2008)


Thursday, February 7, 2008

If a Horse Gets Spooked in the Woods...

And if there aren't many people around to see it, does it count?

Charleston, S.C., is having trouble keeping up with recent accidents involving horse-drawn carriages. Two serious accidents in January alone. It seems that the city is reliant on a "courtesy call" from police officers to find out about accidents.

Read the article as published by the Charleston City Paper (Feb. 6, 2008)


Sunday, February 3, 2008

A Mouse, a Horse, a Great Idea!

Support the historic effort to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. Great-looking merchandise is available from Cafe Press, and your purchase helps the horses by supporting the work of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages.

The tote bags, mugs, T-shirts, and other items speak volumes without saying a word. The mouse pad is a must-have. It features Teddy, a handsome former carriage horse who was destined for slaughter auction before he was rescued and found a home at the Central New England Equine Rescue (CNEER). In the snowy mousepad photo, Teddy is all smiles.

Photo courtesy of CNEER.
Click here to read Teddy's story.
Visit the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages shop on Cafe Press