Ten minutes in the life

On Sunday night, just before 8 p.m. on West Drive in Central Park, I watched three mischief-making children try to climb onto a moving carriage that had passengers. One child fell into the roadway, losing a shoe and only narrowly avoiding the carriage's wheels. This incident, while not the carriage driver's fault, is typical of the nonsense that goes on in the park, especially on a summer weekend. Keep in mind that the New York City carriage driver is not required to carry much in the way of insurance.

Not two minutes later, the driver of this carriage was seen letting a young child take the reins, with his supervision, near Tavern on the Green. That same child--a little girl of around 6 years old--had both hands on the reins when I saw this carriage around 61st Street, preparing to exit to Central Park South. The horse was moving at a brisk clip, a canter, and the kid was loving it. She knew nothing of the danger, of course.
Wrong, misguided, and illegal. Where is the ASPCA when you need it? The drivers have got eagle eyes. Maybe the rare sighting of an ASPCA humane law enforcement officer is what the drivers are always discussing so earnestly on the cell phone--another favorite pasttime of theirs. I guess it does get boring, counting cash and operating what the drivers view as an amusement park "ride." The carriage's license number started with a "10" and ended with "3." He knows he who is.
The horse shown in the photo is not the one that is described above. Rather, this horse is seen eating food off the streets of NYC. Let's hope some water was made available.

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.