A gruesome year...so far

Today brings news of a serious carriage horse spooking accident in Eureka, California, which is north of San Francisco. The horse bolted after being spooked by skateboarders, according to a report in The (Humboldt County) Journal. The carriage driver suffered head injuries and was hospitalized. No word on his condition. The horse, Cinnamon, is said to have suffered leg injuries though able to walk. After being startled by the sound of skateboards, she took off galloping and crashed into a parked car, dragging the carriage with her. The carriage finally was stopped by a wood pillar. The carriage driver was pulled into the street.

This comes just weeks after horses spooked during a July Fourth parade in Bellevue, Iowa, a tragic turn that killed a 61-year-old woman (the carriage driver's wife) and injured 24 others, mostly young children. One of the two horses who spooked was killed.

Cities and towns that put horses into traffic are putting the public safety at risk, since surveys have shown consistently that humans are almost always injured in carriage horse-spooking accidents.

In the US and around the world, the list of recent accidents is, well, too long to list. Among some recent serious accidents are those in York, England; Atlanta, Georgia; suburban London (Windsor Estate) and Mesa Fire, Ariz. Not surprisingly, there are also vehicle-versus-carriage crashes, like these in Philadelphia (5 people, 5 horses hurt) and Anchorage, Alaska. As you can imagine, vehicles have the safety advantage.

Is this a new phenomenon? Not! Here is a sampling that a commenter posted in Iowa. Oh, and here is list from "spookedhorses" blog of carriage and buggy crashes, many from 2009.

Where carriage horses live

Surely West Side Livery, one of five carriage horse stables in Manhattan, is one of the worst homes that a horse could have. Most New York City residents go about their daily business not thinking about where the carriage horses live, or perhaps imagining that they are housed in a bucolic setting somewhere in the park. An Animals' Angels investigation tells the real story: tie stalls, sand buckets for fire protection, horses tethered to feeding troughs. Read the report on the website of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages. Then take a look at the interior of the stable, which is located at 538 W. 38th Street. (You really should see it for yourself.)
Related news: A New York City veterinarian detailed concerns about the multistory stable, including its complete lack of fire protection system, poor ventilation that compromises the horses' respiratory health, inadequate bedding and cramped standing stalls. Watch a news conference co-sponsored by the coalition, Friends of Animals, and Heart for Animal Rights.

It happened in New York City

The New York City carriage industry doesn't want tourists to know the truth about the way the horses live and die. One driver in particular is very vocal in shouting down activists, who sometimes show photographic evidence of some of the horses who have died on the job in New York City. Don't be surprised if you see a driver denying the number of horse fatalities, saying they didn't happen in New York, or otherwise decrying as propaganda the facts that are well-documented. These drivers are banking on the ignorance of tourists, most of whom know nothing of the sad history of this industry.

For the sake of balance, this photo by Vito Torelli reminds of a terrible day--and a terrible summer--in New York City history. The August 26, 1991, headline in Newsday read: "Death of Carriage Horse Probed, Same Owner Had One Die 2 Weeks Ago," and the newspaper reported that colic was the presumptive cause in both cases. The New York Times reported the story of the horse who collapsed in Central Park under the headline: "Carriage Horse Treated, Killed, Left for Sanitation Men."

Colic is a leading cause of death for all horses, and particularly for overworked and underwatered carriage horses. They face great danger every day on busy streets, and their health suffers greatly in a number of ways. The very few fortunate horses who are rescued at auction after they can no longer turn a profit are generally in very poor condition, but surely grateful to escape the end-of-the-line auctions where the killer buyers are standing by.

Are you ready for your close-up?

Activist alert: If you do anything to help New York City's carriage horses, be forewarned: You will likely be harassed by the carriage industry. YouTube member "HorsesinNYC" shows individuals being photographed without their consent as they entered a recent meeting at the Bar Association of the City of New York, on 44th Street in midtown Manhattan. Creepy but predictable.

The meeting was an expert panel discussion titled "Yay or Neigh: Should the Carriage Horse Industry Be Banned in NYC?" Carriage industry representatives declined opportunities to take part.
New York City carriage horses suffer greatly, especially during the steamy summer months. The horses are worked hard in searing heat, and with inadequate water. There is no consideration for humidity in the law, which is roundly ignored anyway.

Mother's Day demonstration

Some things never change. Insults and intimidation from carriage drivers were the order of the day at a peaceful demonstration last weekend, but the activists carried on. They're used to it. I just received this video of the very successful event. I'm told that a number of tourists decided not to take a ride after getting more information about this industry and learning about the plight of the horses. I hope these people spread the word!
The infamous "ponytail guy" driver can be seen and heard in this clip. Kind of funny and pathetic.
Video courtesy of YouTube member "HorsefeathersNYC"
For optimal quality viewing, click twice on the video and see it on YouTube.

Should the industry be banned?

Experts Will Take Up The Topic
May 11, 2009, 6:30 pm
A Free Event Presented by the Bar Association of the City of New York

Yay or Neigh:
Should the Carriage Horse Industry be Banned in NYC?
An Expert Panel Discussion
This is your opportunity to hear from experts on issues pertaining to the the horse-drawn carriage industry. Activists have called for a ban, saying that the congested streets of New York City are no place for horses. The industry asserts that horse carriages represent a legitimate business that is vital to tourism. A panel of experts will discuss the proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages and other issues relating to carriage horses.

Moderators:
LORI BARRETT, Deputy County Attorney, Office of the Nassau County Attorney; CHRISTINE MOTT, Christine Mott, Esq.

Speakers:
DR. HOLLY CHEEVER, DVM; ELIZABETH FOREL, President of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages ; DONNY MOSS, Documentary filmmaker, Blinders; MARTHA ROBINSON, Associate General Counsel, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; STACY WOLF, Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel, Humane Law Enforcement, ASPCA

There is no charge to attend. Registration is requested--click here

WHO: Bar Association of the City of New York
WHEN: Monday, May 11, 2009
WHERE: Where: 42 West 44th Street, NYC (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
TIME: 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

And now, for some comic relief

The recent hearing at City Hall on two bills affecting New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry was long and, at times, contentious. YouTube user PitytheHorses keeps us laughing, though, with this excerpt from the testimony of carriage driver Frank Rodden. He is a horseman. How do we know? Because he told us so, repeatedly!
Especially humorous is his dismissal of bloggers and other online pursuits, such as YouTube. Rodden informs us that horses are his life, not just something he "does" for 30 minutes in front of a computer screen. No blogger is he, we're told, though he is handy with a computer. This is a man who must be online at least three hours a day. So well known, in fact, is Rodden that he is frequently referred to as "the ponytail guy" in the blogosphere and YouTube realms.
View Rodden's full testimony
Video by Anthony Speziale
Note: For optimal viewing, click twice on the video and view it on YouTube.

The awful fate of carriage horses

Here we see a true horsewoman, Linda Marcus, speaking about her rescues, which include a former New York City carriage horse that was one day away from slaughter when she was saved. This testimony was part of a public hearing on two bills: one that would ban the horse-drawn industry, and another that would reward it and further erode oversight and accountability. Ms. Marcus supports a ban and opposes the industry bill, as do the ASPCA, Humane Society of the United States, numerous animal advocacy organizations, and the Bar Association of the City of New York. This compelling testimony from the January 2009 hearing exposes the convenient services of faux rescue organizations that collaborate with industry to take its castoffs--and ultimately, to get rid of them. All within the loophole, I mean law, that requires "humane disposition" of New York City carriage horses.
These kinds of arrangements are being exposed with increasing frequency. Slaughter provides an easy way out to the ones who break down horses, overbreed them, or otherwise misuse them. Indeed, the horse industry at large has rewarded this behavior for years, paying people to make the horses disappear. Issues may or may not be resolved at legislative levels, but "outing" those who dump horses into the laps of kill buyers may ultimately be the most effective thing of all.
Related reading:
Recently we heard that thoroughbred owner Ernie Paragallo says he lost track of his horses, and that some likely met a grim fate in Canada. Paragallo has since been charged with multiple counts of cruelty to animals.
Another former NYC carriage horse, "Manhattan," rescued from a grim fate (from Carriage Horses-NYC blog)
And finally, All about farrier care--and owner responsibility (from Horseshoes.com)

And the winner is...

"Blinders" ... for Outstanding TV Documentary!
Congratulations, Donny Moss!
A huge honor at the 23rd Annual Genesis Awards for independent filmmaker Donny Moss, whose documentary "Blinders: The Truth Behind the Tradition" was named Best TV Documentary. "Definitely a happy night for me, the activists, and, of course, the carriage horses," said Moss, seen in the photo accepting his award at the March 28, 2009 awards presentation. "Blinders" shows us the realities of New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry, which is deemed inhumane by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), sponsor of the Genesis Awards. The ASPCA, HSUS, countless animal advocacy groups, and the New York City Bar Association support a full ban, as outlined in legislation introduced by New York City Council member Tony Avella. "Blinders" is credited with helping to make more people aware of the plight of New York City's carriage horses.
See more photos of Donny Moss and other honorees on Flicker.
After the film was nominated in February, The Documentary Channel (DOC) added more screenings, on Monday, April 20, at 10 pm and Saturday, April 25, at 6 pm (both ET). DOC is available on DISH Network (Channel 197), and several broadcast stations in major markets including NYC TV (Channel 25) throughout the greater New York metropolitan area. DOC also has made the full-length "Blinders" documentary available to online audiences on the network's exclusive Sling.com channel.
Winners of 2009 Genesis Awards by category
Photo: Long Photography
Also available: Read an interview with Donny Moss on Advocate.com

So glad you said that...

The fine folks from NYC & Co., the tourism agency of New York City, are seen in this amusing clip explaining in withering detail how the carriage industry rakes in the money. Never mind that the city derives not a single penny of direct revenue from this cash-only business. Kimberly Spell is persistent, though, even wagging a finger at Council Member Tony Avella several times as he listens intently to her explanation. See why Avella, sponsor of the bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, is so delighted to hear her say it!
Avella invoked the rarely used Sponsor's Privilege rule to force a public hearing in January on two bills affecting the carriage industry: his proposed ban, and an industry bill that would help the drivers but not the horses. NYC & Co. has drunk Mayor Bloomberg's Kool-Aid, which is why their math is so fuzzy. This hilarious testimony provided comic relief during the long hearing, I'm told.
Video by Anthony Speziale. Visit "PitytheHorses" channel on YouTube for more clips (more to come, we're told!)
Also see: "One Council Member to Another"

Best of the worst: Andrew Eiler

The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) doesn't know the legally allowable fare for a horse-drawn carriage. Or, at least, Andrew Eiler, the DCA's legislative director, didn't know when that question was asked of him at the public hearing. He pulls out some legalese at the end, giving us the "tree in the forest" line of thinking--that there's no problem unless a consumer files a complaint. Convenient, because tourists don't KNOW they're being blatantly and illegally ripped off. That's going to change! Anyway, view this entertaining clip of what Tony Avella, sponsor of Intro. 658, described as "the poorest testimony." Hilarious.
This is one of the first video clips to be made available from the hearing, and we're told that others are being uploaded soon. Watch for them on YouTube channel "PitytheHorses."
Also view the excellent testimony by Elaine Sloan on overcharging that is overlooked by the city.
Video credit: Anthony Speziale

Hilly and dangerous

Night shift
Trudging up hilly 10th Avenue, behind St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center.
New York City's carriage horses live in multistory stables in Hell's Kitchen, up to 2 miles from Central Park. Their daily commutes are treacherous.
Photo courtesy of "Horsefeathers"

Danger ahead

Putting us all in harm's way


This kind of reckless behavior speaks for itself: it is dangerous and it endangers the public safety. All those people around, and the driver surely doesn't have his eyes on the road or his horse.
Video from March 8, 2009, 72nd St. east-west transverse in Central Park.
Courtesy of YouTube member "DriversRunninScared"

Critical acclaim for "Blinders"

**** UPDATE, MARCH 29, 2009 ****
BLINDERS WINS! CONGRATULATIONS, DONNY MOSS!
Documentary exposes "the truth behind the tradition"
Manhattan screening March 20
"Blinders," the award-winning documentary by independent filmmaker Donny Moss, is nominated for a Genesis Award--a distinction that recognizes excellence in television, film, print, and the arts for raising public understanding of animal issues. The awards, presented by the Hollywood office of the Humane Society of the United States, will be handed out on March 28, in Los Angeles. "Blinders," which is nominated in the category TV Documentary (Documentary Channel), shows the plight of New York City's carriage horses, who toil in immoderate weather and live in multistory stables as far as 2 miles from Central Park.

The nomination of "Blinders" is great news for Donny Moss, and for the horses! The highly visible Genesis Awards bring the message of his powerful film to a national and international audience. The awards recognize the best of the best. Nominees include "Dogtown: Saving the Michael Vick Dogs" (nominated in the category Unscripted Television Series) and "National Geographic Channel's Strange Days on Planet Earth" (TV Documentary).
Learn more about this year's Genesis Awards, which are dedicated to ending the Canadian seal hunt.
(c) Nigel Barker
See the full list of 2009 nominees.

**** "BLINDERS" screening in Manhattan, March 20, 2009! ****
NEW YORK, NY
March 20, 7:00 p.m.
New York Film and Video Festival
Village East Cinemas
181-189 2nd Avenue (12th St.)
Tickets - $12

Accolades for "Blinders"

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

From near and far, people are talking

About horses, that is
A peaceful vigil at Central Park on December 6 (photo) makes people stop and think about the plight of the horses...
and activists brave the cold to speak up for the horses in Boston...Ingrid Newkirk has a heart for New York's carriage horses...and Ecorazzi blogs up the spicy ad campaign that asks tourists to just say no. Legal troubles for a horse-drawn carriage operator in Galveston, Texas, following an accident last summer. The lives of New York City's carriage horses strike a chord with an equine rescue group in northern California...here's a blogger that aims to set the record straight about the deadly tradition of NYC's horse-drawn carriages. Still a few more days to see "Fox Trot," the Kevin Hellmuth photo exhibition that celebrates horses (exhibit runs through December 17th). Finally, check out screenings of "Blinders," or pick up a DVD for the horse person in your life (or to hold your own neighborhood screening!)

"Foxtrot" is being exhibited at the Church of Saint Paul the Apostle (corner of 59th street and Columbus Avenue), 1 block west of Columbus Circle.

A recipe for spooking a horse

It's always horrifying, and never surprising, when a horse spooks in traffic or around a noisy spectacle. Which is what happened Friday in Rhinelander, Wis., during a downtown Christmas tree-lighting event. The moment everyone was waiting for, in fact, is what apparently frightened the horses, who were still harnessed to a carriage. One man was trampled, and one vehicle damaged. Read more
If you've ever wondered if New York City carriage horses spook, the answer is yes--and when it happens, the consequences are generally horrifying, as with the death of Smoothie in September 2007.

The next time you see a horse in Times Square, or on 9th Avenue, or being made to make a U-turn on Central Park South, consider whether that is an appropriate environment for a horse. Learn more about the lives and inelegant deaths of New York City carriage horses

No More Excuses Please, We Disagree

Dear Wendy,
Thanks for reading and taking the time to write. If I weren't under the weather I would have posted your comment sooner. My point is that NYC is a misery for carriage horses and cannot be made safer for these fright-and-flight animals, as you well know. The horse that is operating in a state of anxiety (as sometimes happens in NYC) is apt to balk or let this anxiety escalate into a red zone, as we both surely know. Traffic obviously doesn't favor the horses.

The industry is an incestuous and corrupt mess that would make your head spin (perhaps you know this all too well, although I believe you mentioned being in California). Even the sometime bribery defendant and industry veteran Cornelius Byrne has acknowledged in comments published two years ago in The New Yorker that the streets of the city that never sleeps are fraught with distractions for highly sensitive horses.

Byrne offered some veteran’s wisdom, won over four decades of driving a horse in the city. “One of the things horses are most afraid of is garbage trucks,” he said. “They have an odor to them and a noise to them and a size to them."

Byrne went on to say in the New Yorker piece that some horses are "bombproof," which is utter nonsense and reveals much about his attitude toward horses. Fire engines, wailing sirens, speeding automobile drivers, carriage horse drivers talking on cell phones--these are the elements with which the horses contend. Plus extreme weather and lack of water.

Support Intro. 658, the bill the ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. A 19th-century anachronism involving animal cruelty has no place in a modern city. Find my City Council member now!
Not a New York City resident? Contact Mayor Bloomberg's office and make your voice heard!

Tragedy in Tennessee

A 39-year-old man was killed in Waynesboro, Tenn., on Sunday when the horse-drawn carriage that he and his teen-age daughter were riding in was struck by a car. His daughter was thrown from the carriage but was not seriously injured. The horse was killed by the impact of the crash.
Read the story as published on TimesDaily.com
Note: This news item is published on the blog as a somber reminder that cars, roadways, and horses do not mix under any circumstances, whether the setting is a scenic highway or a gridlocked cityscape. The dangers are great and risks of tragedy predictable.

Clearing the Air

New York City carriage horses lead a true nose-to-tailpipe existence, and equine veterinarians have detailed the ways in which this compromises the health of horses. Worse still, the horses get little respite in their stables, where the air quality is also poor.

Poor air quality is common in all horse stables. A full 25% to 80% of stabled horses devleop neutrophilic airway inflammation, a disorder caused by a type of white blood cell that helps kill and digest microorganisms. The average barn or stable has levels of airborne particulates that are "off the chart,"according to Melissa R. Mazan, DVM, a faculty member at the Tufts University School of Medicine and a diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine. "It is difficult to persuade trainers and owners that there might be anything wrong with a barn," she explained. "Hard data can be worth a thousand words."

Learn more about air quality in stables.
Note: Accessing articles on TheHorse.com requires registration, but it's fast and free.

New York's carriage horse stables are dirty places with steep ramps that the horses must climb. The stalls are cramped, and the horses often stand in their own waste--just as they do outside of Central Park. Conditions cannot be made safer for New York carriage horses, who travel to and from their stables every day in city traffic. Please support Intro. 658, a bill to ban horse-drawn carriages.

Examine the evidence. NYC carriage horses don't get enough water and receive only infrequent veterinary care. Read the full city audit of the New York City carriage horse industry.

Urge your Council Member to co-sponsor Intro. 658 in support of a full ban. Respectfully ask for a response.