Good People

Has it really been nearly five months since Cornelius Byrne, owner of Central Park Carriage Stables, was arrested on accusations of offering an undercover investigator $100 to overlook seven alleged violations at his stable? Apparently. As carriage drivers delight in saying, the arrest had nothing to do with any treatment or mistreatment of the horses. Rather, the issue was said to pertain to licenses. For example, the same identification number allegedly was used for two different horses. Read the release from the New York City Department of Investigation.
Go figure. It boggles my mind to contemplate the logic of such. Maybe the city audit of the industry (2007) can shed some light on intricacies of licensing. The drivers also claim to love the audit, because it places blame elsewhere (ie, on lack of oversight). Which is why the ASPCA, HSUS, and many other humane organizations have joined forces as part of a coalition to ban horse-drawn carriages outright--because conditions cannot be made safe for the horses and regulation is not a viable option. Photo credit: Steven Hirsch

Sola, perduta, abbandonata

An observation on the work horses' appearance
Could the horses from Central Park Carriages and the storied West Side Livery look any more pitiful and forlorn trudging up 10th Avenue? Probably not.
In late 2007, equine veterinarian Elizabeth Kilgallon looked at video that had been taken with a hidden camera for CBS 2 HD. Among her observations: some of the horses looked to be crammed into standing stalls so tight they can't turn around or lie down. She also noted the horses seemed to be standing in their own urine, manure, and on very little bedding. "I think the bare legal requirements have been met, but I don't think this is the best way for them to live," Dr. Kilgallon was quoted as saying after viewing the video.

Support a ban on horse-drawn carriages in NYC. Call your City Council member today.
What has City Council Speaker Christine Quinn done for horses, dogs, or cats lately, anyway?

Ed's note: There are many worse things that I could say about the one stable in particular, as readers well know. I took the high road here but may reconsider in the future. Rest in peace, Juliet.

Horses spook, turn-of-the-century edition

In 1901, horses spooked--as they still do in 2008.
Read an article from the New York Times archives about a horse that spooked at a blowing newspaper.
How many more dangers, distractions, and noises exist in New York City today?
Support Intro. 658, the bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City

Raising the bar for public relations...

I would die of shame and embarrassment if I were a dumb (d-u-m?) flack and had to be quoted as saying idiotic nonsense such as this:

"No one wants to replace clip-clop, clip-clop with chitty chitty bang bang..."

This is so bad that I won't even attribute it. It's painful to read it even now.

More later. And carriage people, welcome! Keep reading! Stay off the streets!

Spring has sprung, and I have been taking notes on weight violations, etc. How to proceed... also, I saw a near-miss today in beautiful Clinton. Interesting how taxicabs don't give a damn about the horses. For the life of me, I cannot understand how you guys and gals think it's a good idea to "drive" horses in city traffic.

If I were you I would get out your calculators and do some computation. There are better ways to make money than to warehouse thirsty, tired horses that have to drag around fat people for 9 hours a day and must live on cheap, poor-quality food. Humane treatment wouldn't be a concern with "green" model-Ts and other classic automobiles. Those you can run until the wheels fall off!

Tragedy averted, this time

A carriage horse spooked in Cincinnati on Saturday night, tossing the carriage driver and losing the passengers. The horse dragged the overturned carriage for two blocks before being stopped by police. The driver suffered a back injury and a female passenger suffered a head injury. Police returned the horse to its stable; it was not immediately clear whether the horse had any injuries.

The latest news of a horse-drawn carriage accident is not surprising; rather, it is predictable. Putting horses into traffic is a recipe for disaster and often has tragic consequences.

Photo credit: Adam Eger for The (Cincinnati) Enquirer

A sight for sore eyes

It's great to see the impactful and brilliant Manhattan Mini Storage ads! It's simple and it's wonderful: MMS will donate $25 on your behalf to one of 5 organizations when you rent. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is among them, along with Planned Parenthood of NYC, Animal Haven, The NYC Gay & Lesbian Anti-Violence Project, and Citymeals-on-Wheels. All wonderful organizations. This is a tremendous ad campaign from a company with a social conscience.
I love all of these ads! This one will have an impact in making more people aware of the cruelty of the horse-drawn carriage industry. In a predictably vulgar fashion, some in the carriage industry behaved very badly upon learning of this campaign. Carriage people would do well to keep it real and always be mindful of laws that prohibit menacing behavior. Cheers.

Scary people, some of these drivers

Did I mention the carriage driver who wrote to me and warned me to "watch my ass"? The comment was so silly I did not publish it. Now, now, there'll be no threats here.

See cruelty investigators being roughed up on the hack line
Apologies, carriage people, I know how much you hate the P-word, but check this and other recently added video of the many problems with this hateful cash-only business. Say, I bet you don't like the IRS, either! That's how they finally took down Al Capone--tax evasion! Not that I'm saying you don't pay taxes...
Support Intro. 658--the bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. I would recommend calling City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, but she's busy with her scandal and all.