The daily grind

If you think the carriage horse in this photo is making pretty good time, you're right! It is clear that they're moving at a brisk clip. The driver has left the park, above the busy roundabout at Columbus Circle. Here they are seen crossing Broadway, and the driver is taking his horse back to the stable (a dreadful commute down to Hell's Kitchen.)

Another driver was seen nearby on Thursday standing up in the carriage for several blocks--tightly clenching the reins--while his horse sped south (this after the driver had nudged the horse out into the middle of a busy intersection to begin the evening rush-hour journey). Standing up may give the driver some sense, anyway, of control. But if a horse should spook in heavy traffic, all bets are off. Horses, carriage drivers, motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians are in harm's way.
Sometimes the horses are moving so fast that I can't get a photo. That happened last week at 43rd and Eighth Avenue, near Times Square. That horse was flying west on a street with potholes aplenty. The working on pavement day in, day out takes its toll on the horses, who are at risk for laminitis. It's understandably hard on arthritic joints and fragile hooves, equine experts agree.
Enforcement of the industry is sadly lacking, and the Departments of Health and Consumer Affairs are implicated in the sorry state of affairs. By law, carriage horses shall NOT be driven at a pace "faster than a trot." That never happens, right? WRONG!
Support a ban on horse-drawn carriages in NYC.
Photo: March 5, 2009

Horses and people in harm's way

A carriage horse spooked recently in Charleston, S.C. What frightened him? A puddle of water. And a well-trained appaloosa named "Mouse" spooked at the presidential inaugural parade, which was delayed as a result. The slam of a car door frightened him. A close call, and he was injured but is recovering. Surely the inauguration is one of the most controlled events in history (and experts were standing by, which is probably why Mouse is still alive). These reports are not surprising. Every week, we read news accounts of highly trained, "bombproof" horses spooking. And this is why horses don't belong in New York City. Having horse-drawn carriages in the city is not safe. It is inhumane.
Update: By most news accounts, Mouse spooked and backed, kicking, into the grill of a truck, after spooking at the sound of car door slamming. A new report says that Mouse has a pet peeve: horse-drawn carriages, and that one had stopped beside him. The idea is distasteful enough to sentient beings. This parade veteran should stay away from New York City. He would be beside himself.
Photo: Kevin Wolf, Associated Press

Horse in heavy traffic

Why is this driver using his horse as a battering ram? Bad enough that this horse must work in traffic near the Manhattan entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel, and even worse that the poor horses are subjected to this commute daily. Four miles, round trip. Did you know that the horses live so far from the park?

Video used courtesy of YouTube user "DriversRunninScared"

A blight on a beautiful city

In the week since Elizabeth Forel's opinion piece (Let carriage horses run free) was published in the New York Daily News, the letters have been pouring in to the newspaper. She raised some fundamental questions, namely, "Aren't we a better, more compassionate people than to continue to allow these horses to be exploited for profit?" Carol D. from Ohio wrote in to say: "Please ban carriage rides. I will not visit New York City again until you stop this inhumane practice." From Ossining, New York, a reader commented: "I get depressed and angry every time I walk by the horses near Central Park." Compassionate people from near and far see that this is wrong. Why do the decision-makers in New York City turn a blind eye to the inhumane treatment of the horses? Why do lawmakers condone such a mismanaged, out-of-control industry?
The ASPCA and Humane Society have deemed New York City's carriage industry to be inhumane. The mayor thinks he knows better? We know he's arrogant, but that is ridiculous.
Tourists by the busloads are deposited at Central Park, where they're likely to be hustled into taking a ride--at any price. Sadly, most of these tourists think the horses live in Central Park.
Photo credit: Donny Moss

And another tragic death

Tourists watched in horror as Birillo suffered
A beautiful horse named Birillo died recently in Rome, after spooking and losing his footing when a truck sped close to him near the Colosseum, perhaps even grazing him. A crowd of tourists watched in horror as Birillo suffered and had to be put down. Those sad images brought to mind the painful memory of Smoothie,the New York City carriage horse who died in September 2007 after spooking.
Larger photo: Birillo, 2008, Rome. Inset: Smoothie, 2007, NYC.

Even as Birillo lay dying a few days ago, a global movement was gaining strength--an international coalition that seeks to ban horse-drawn carriages. On Saturday, December 6, activists in cities around will world will mark "Horses Without Carriages International" day, a united effort to bring this issue to the forefront in cities around the world. Anti-carriage activists in Rome, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Charleston, S.C., Annapolis, Md., Dublin, Florence, Tel Aviv, and Victoria, Canada are planning peaceful demonstrations to make it known that putting horse-drawn carriages in the midst of city traffic is irrelevant, cruel, unnecessary, and simply wrong.
Take action wherever you are on December 6, 2008, and all throughout the coming year, to unite with others who want to put an end to horse-drawn carriages in cities. Learn more about Horses Without Carriages International and the NYC day of action, sponsored by the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages.
More information to come...

Bad days for horses

Horses are in the news this summer, and it usually isn't good news
Take a look at undercover video from "Exposed Truths" that reveals horrific conditions at the stables of J.C. Cutters, which bills itself as Chicago's "premiere carriage company."

Consider the story of Heavenly Perfect, a 5-year-old mare who was raced to death.

The horrors of the slaughterhouse have struck a nerve with people. A Boston racetrack has enacted a zero-tolerance slaughter policy. [TheHorse.com; free registration is required]
Now it should take a cold hard look at the common practice of running horses to death.

It's been a deadly spring and summer for horses that pull buggies in rural or less heavily traveled areas, with accidents in Nappanee, and Goshen, Ind.; Lawrenceberg, TN; Lancaster and Meadville, PA.; Mercer County, Ohio; and Alamosa, Colo., to name a few. Human lives were lost in a number of these crashes, at least one of which is a consequence of a drunken motorist who plowed into the buggy.

Conditions cannot be made safe or humane for New York City carriage horses, who travel miles in noisy, heavy traffic. Support a full ban, which is advocated by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Friends of Animals, and the Humane Society of the United States, among a host of others. Let your City Council member hear from you. If you are not a New York City resident, contact the mayor's office and voice your concern for the horses.

Horses Working Through the Heat

Heat Wave This Weekend
New York City is in the midst of a heat wave, and you can be sure the horses are out in the searing heat and humidity. By law, the carriage horses are not to be working whenever the air temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Because the law does not take "heat index" into account, the high humidity is not factored into the equation. The risk is serious. Horses can die of hyperthermia in just a few hours, and the burden of heat stress to the horses is not necessarily reflected in the official weather bureau readings. As an example, the air temperature as recorded by the weather bureau can be nearly 50 degrees cooler than the actual asphalt temperature at street level, a Cornell University study found. The New York City Department of Transportation has found that asphalt surfaces can reach 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Compounding the risk is the problem of inadequate water supply for the horses.
Photo courtesy of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages
You can see how working outside in these conditions poses clear risks. So, when you see a carriage horse working when temperatures are 90 or higher, call the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to file a report (and good luck getting through). The ASPCA's offices are closed on weekends, so when excessive heat is forecast on a Friday for the upcoming weekend, call the ASPCA (212-876-7700, ext. 4450) and urge that a Humane Law Officer be on the job at the park. It is important to let the ASPCA know that you are concerned about the health and safety of the horses. Put the phone number into your phone "Contact" list and keep an eye on the horses this summer. Until there is a ban, let's do all we can to help the horses.
Support a ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York City

From the archives: this isn't tourism

Marcela D said it best: The death of Smoothie in September 2007 was a turning point:

This is it! Another horse suffering a needless and horrifying death. I will never visit New York again until horse-carriages are banned. I urge everyone to call or write the Mayor of New York and tell him he will be losing a lot of tourism dollars because of this.

Marcela's comment appeared on the Web site of the Toronto Humane Society following the death of Smoothie.

ACTION ALERT: Ask New York City's elected officials to support a BAN on horse-drawn carriages.
Contact the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg (City Hall, New York, NY 10007. Phone: 311 (or: 212-New-York, outside of NYC)
Contact City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
(City Hall, New York, NY 10007). Legislative Office Phone: (212) 788-7210

Tourist attraction, or cruel spectacle?

"We have an impeccable safety record."
--Carolyn Daly, public relations professional hired by the NYC carriage horse industry

A review of the facts is in order. At least six people have been hospitalized and three horses have died from carriage accidents in New York since 2006. From 1994 to 2007, there have been at least 26 accidents, at least two of which were unreported (have there been others?)

A 2007 audit by City Comptroller William C. Thompson acknowledged the disheartening fact that the city had "dropped the ball" with respect to adequate care of New York City's carriage horses. The report also had something to say about poor record-keeping. The problems include lack of water and risks of overheating. In February 2008, Clancy, an 8-year-old Percheron, died in his stall.

The trade does profit on the ignorance of tourists. To what degree, we don't know, because it's a cash-only business. What we do see, however, is that prospective tourists increasingly are forgoing visits to New York City because they don't want to see this inherently abusive industry.

Tourism? Not! Read one visitor's recent comment (HorseWatchNYC post, May 3).

TAKE ACTION: Ask City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to support a ban on horse-drawn carriages. She rules the Council with an iron fist, intimidating colleagues who would support the ban (Intro. 658). She is effectively blocking this legislation, as she has done with all humane legislation pertaining to animal well-being. This includes the pets-in-housing bill.