Sunday, October 11, 2009

No life for a horse

Animal suffering is not a tourist attraction
There are a number of similarities between the horse-drawn carriage industries in Charleston and New York City. Namely, both are politically entrenched, which further illustrates the sad divide between the way things are and the way things should be. Horse-drawn carriages should not be a political issue in these 21st-century cities.

"Earthvegan" blogger Vaishali is the latest to point out an uncivil and troubling disregard for animal suffering, coupled with an alarming cognitive dissonance that must be at work to enable these industries to exist. She writes of a visit to Charleston, where she witnessed the miserable spectacle of a carriage horse pulling 17 tourists around. She also calls out New York City, where the industry is fast gaining notoriety for its multistory stables and dangerous and inhumane working conditions. The one glimmer of hope in this story is that bad news travels as well as good news. Maybe even better.
Photo: From "If Horses Had Wishes"/earthvegan.blogspot.com
Related: "Horse-code violations" (The Post and Courier)
"Horse Pulling Carriage Falls" (The Post and Courier)
"Blinders," the award-winning documentary about NYC's carriage industry

Learn more: Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages-NYC