tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91871871006322094462024-02-07T04:28:59.759-05:00HorseWatch NYCTime to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City!
You can make a difference for NYC carriage horses.sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-49621002222886948742011-10-10T10:19:00.009-04:002011-10-10T10:58:52.211-04:00A very dangerous mix<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_ohGwy_gl4"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 251px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0ShFG-7d5oAeqavaXza6F9mNvg9KFWkQSHWo-vNQ0tg5ZydMRfx2DLwMuLJA0b610_wkRjt0fKzyTGzoLm9k4APxBp4lJDDyy5DqzoIdMBwirbncfGxZb9Y941k8TV173ywmyoTC7h5c/s320/girl+bicycle+horse+10911.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5661871834967374914" border="0" /></a>Central Park looked a little like a Six Flags amusement park on Sunday. Watch these <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_ohGwy_gl4">accidents waiting to happen</a>: the careless children riding bikes in front of horses, the drivers turned around backward, the sirens and speeding cars, the pedicabs zig-zagging on East Drive at 72nd Street. The person who sent me this asked me to delete a few expletives.<br /><br />Also notice the white horse who stumbles (<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_ohGwy_gl4">cue in to 12 </a>seconds).<br /><br />Take action to help the horses. Visit the website of the <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/">Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages</a> (if you're on the fence about a ban, this website (www.banhdc.org) explains why an outright ban is needed). Also sign these petitions: <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.change.org/petitions/save-nyc-carriage-horses-from-kill-auctions">Intro. 670</a>, which would close the current loophole that allows NYC carriage horses to end up at kill auctions, which are a one-way trip to the slaughterhouse; and a <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.change.org/petitions/ban-horse-drawn-carriages-in-new-york-city-new-bill-needs-support">New York state bill</a> that would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City.<br /><br />How can New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn support this dangerous industry? There is going to be a gruesome accident. The question is not if, but when.<br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">_uacct = "UA-4707786-1";urchinTracker();</script>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-69588700222329538812011-08-21T23:33:00.004-04:002011-08-21T23:36:34.707-04:00Gridlock<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rkYqT7rY3N94w23yD8CApWgUYM3amTlLwVvaA9-YfSREM6iUtnNcuinO2NMc8PNtBnoi1hMQBnRtUknTUTCotYEaA9tI_VqKvewT-6sqGyiP3DD_JHeMkJM90IM16fENUgOGyENop7bp/s1600/gridlock+cropped.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rkYqT7rY3N94w23yD8CApWgUYM3amTlLwVvaA9-YfSREM6iUtnNcuinO2NMc8PNtBnoi1hMQBnRtUknTUTCotYEaA9tI_VqKvewT-6sqGyiP3DD_JHeMkJM90IM16fENUgOGyENop7bp/s320/gridlock+cropped.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5643518510537760050" border="0" /></a>July 27, 2011 at the hack line near the Plaza Hotel in New York City. If tourists knew the dangers of this scenario to horses and people, taking a ride would not be an option.
<br />sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-62721529678803540492011-05-14T11:33:00.009-04:002011-05-14T11:54:46.806-04:00Horses + traffic = danger ahead<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuntaegovTxlfWtz8hpOtl0DiamYGORWGzJxsCTi4mOfWN908IRTFo0CIy96Vjxzckbr6GpOndLMlrRSz1xS8l72LPSBryDBjb4ePQ58ylDCeh80Y1CZ1KnGUW6dbRU418h0J0mnUWZDwq/s1600/Hell%2527s+Kitchen+horse+traffic+5.13.11.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 419px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuntaegovTxlfWtz8hpOtl0DiamYGORWGzJxsCTi4mOfWN908IRTFo0CIy96Vjxzckbr6GpOndLMlrRSz1xS8l72LPSBryDBjb4ePQ58ylDCeh80Y1CZ1KnGUW6dbRU418h0J0mnUWZDwq/s320/Hell%2527s+Kitchen+horse+traffic+5.13.11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5606596819048268066" border="0" /></a>Six blocks from the place where the carriage horse Spotty died in a horrific spooking accident in <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/petition.shtml">2006</a>, the white horse (in front of the building) is seen yesterday sandwiched in between parked cars and moving taxicabs.<br /><br />A recipe for trouble, considering how easily horses spook and the consequences when a 1,500-pound animal runs wild.<br /><br />This is business as usual for the carriage horses who live in the cramped and substandard stables at West Side Livery and Central Park Carriages. Both of these are on the far west side of Manhattan, below the Lincoln Tunnel. At 42nd Street, the scene is chaos--two bus lanes feeding eastward into the Port Authority, cars coming up Tenth Avenue, either via the tunnel or from lower Manhattan. This <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/horsesinnyc#p/u/44/62aOP5eLigg">video</a> from "HorsesinNYC" tells the story and shows the traffic and dangerous conditions that are a fact of life for the horses.<br /><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">_uacct = "UA-4707786-1";urchinTracker();</script>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-40562619815289159992011-05-08T11:40:00.020-04:002011-05-08T12:58:25.867-04:00Bucolic Central Park? Not exactly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0F0DSYqEhENxQ7kVuol_syXwz7ePd3GkTlmDC3O_mW_CCyBvY0LNlbTJ8XYBFwr5J8n82q6_gtOZDenqd1fZFG0HGiS1_a2X2O7ww6XEAI_i9U7t87ZoVhOW5QrLGWVupMQ91dejrIJH/s1600/JapanDay+5.8.11+horse.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0F0DSYqEhENxQ7kVuol_syXwz7ePd3GkTlmDC3O_mW_CCyBvY0LNlbTJ8XYBFwr5J8n82q6_gtOZDenqd1fZFG0HGiS1_a2X2O7ww6XEAI_i9U7t87ZoVhOW5QrLGWVupMQ91dejrIJH/s200/JapanDay+5.8.11+horse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604380348332582194" border="0" /></a>Central Park is one of the most beautiful places in New York City. Its pastoral settings pay tribute to Frederick Law Olmsted, who together with Calvert Vaux, designed the park in a simpler era. He had a great deal of foresight yet surely could not imagine how crowded parts of the park would become. Ironically, the most congested part of the park is section in which horse-drawn carriages are largely confined--the so-called "lower loop." <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">See the first photo? These guys are about to make a left turn--in front of the horse.</span><br /><br />This 1.7-mile oval stretches from the park's southern boundary at 59th Street to the east-west transverse at 72nd Street. And make no mistake--there are dangers to pedestrians, bikers, skateboarders, and horses in this part of the park.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdptCA4VMykWrYfL8E8TAtg1hOVD4GdKQAm9GgodcZOgQYMKpmIfnQr3HumdpvW0Ns4wxpw3wnj2cldX1DU1Brj4zycUNj3hX3zZaX1eX6bKcxpBEQB9F5QbyNT3J1erN5BOOFGFS8JtM/s1600/japanday+6+5.8.11.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 130px; height: 107px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrdptCA4VMykWrYfL8E8TAtg1hOVD4GdKQAm9GgodcZOgQYMKpmIfnQr3HumdpvW0Ns4wxpw3wnj2cldX1DU1Brj4zycUNj3hX3zZaX1eX6bKcxpBEQB9F5QbyNT3J1erN5BOOFGFS8JtM/s200/japanday+6+5.8.11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604379796783949954" border="0" /></a><br />The junction immediately southeast of 72nd street is easily the most hazardous part of the park in terms of collisions, which often are associated with injuries to people. Runners and bicyclists are aware, if not always mindful, of the risks, and accidents occur here--on this hill--with some regularity.<br /><br />Car, pedicab, and carriage traffic moves around this loop in a counterclockwise direction, and car and taxicab traffic feeds into the park at 72nd Street from Fifth Avenue.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9gyEV-oedk/TcbAdpX2WZI/AAAAAAAABvw/Bo1ohHmcuh0/s1600/JapanDay%2B2%2B5.8.11.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 164px; height: 116px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9gyEV-oedk/TcbAdpX2WZI/AAAAAAAABvw/Bo1ohHmcuh0/s200/JapanDay%2B2%2B5.8.11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604378401863784850" border="0" /></a><br />Skateboarders swarm the area, loving its hills.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6wQwfwSAMc/TcbBA9h1IYI/AAAAAAAABv4/BLeOcrDP28o/s1600/JapanDay%2B3%2B5.8.11.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 123px; height: 94px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d6wQwfwSAMc/TcbBA9h1IYI/AAAAAAAABv4/BLeOcrDP28o/s200/JapanDay%2B3%2B5.8.11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604379008569778562" border="0" /></a><br />Runners, walkers, skateboarders, and bicyclists have the option of going left on 72nd Street toward the west side, or continuing north on East Drive up the hill toward the Metropolitan Museum or Great Lawn. All the while, cars and carriages are bearing down and making a left turn as people either cross 72nd St. to go north, or bear left. <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjNg-vkFs2I/TcbLJ6-rHOI/AAAAAAAABwk/8JOjpqltTV0/s1600/Japan%2BDay%2B5%2B5.8.11.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 172px; height: 155px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kjNg-vkFs2I/TcbLJ6-rHOI/AAAAAAAABwk/8JOjpqltTV0/s200/Japan%2BDay%2B5%2B5.8.11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604390157620550882" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><br />Decisions are made quickly, and often a horse-drawn carriage will be cut off abruptly. That is unwise.</span><br /><br />Nearly 5,100 runners took part in a New York Road Runners Race on May 8, and they poured out of the park at E. 72nd Street in droves, as they typically do on any given weekend. Tourists were out on rented bicycles, maps in hand. Fast racing-type bicyclists are always out.<br /><br />I observed this junction for about 10 minutes and saw a runner very nearly get run over by a pedicab (which, like carriage, can't exactly stop on a dime!). In this dangerous mix, the carriages are working, and the drivers often have their back turned so that the can chat with the passengers <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">(</span><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://horsewatchnyc.blogspot.com/2009/03/danger-ahead.html">as I have documented</a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>on this blog). Among all the many near-misses, a serious accident is waiting to happen. The many recent horse spooking incidents, including a runaway horse who tossed his rider during the <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8483481/Royal-wedding-procession-rider-thrown-from-horse.html">royal wedding</a> procession, underscore the danger of putting horses into loud and chaotic situations.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Get the facts about <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.banhdc.org/">carriage rides, carriage accidents, and what you can do to help the horses. </a><br />Did you know? There's a global coalition called <a href="http://www.horseswithoutcarriages.org/"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Horses Without Carriages International</span></a></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);font-size:85%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Horses Without Carriages International Day is June 4, 2011</span></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-80425462678638177432011-04-29T21:44:00.010-04:002011-07-15T12:46:17.150-04:00Horses spook, royal wedding edition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiW0S3ZG9eM/TbtsVnJdC2I/AAAAAAAABvc/cpTmp695PEs/s1600/royal%2Bwedding%2Bspooking.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 195px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiW0S3ZG9eM/TbtsVnJdC2I/AAAAAAAABvc/cpTmp695PEs/s320/royal%2Bwedding%2Bspooking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601189680107031394" border="0" /></a>It seems that good sense goes out the window at weddings. From royalty to commoners, and all the bridezillas in between, people can't resist putting horses into loud and chaotic situations that can easily cause a horse to spook. That's what happened after the wedding of England's Prince William and Kate Middleton. A <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8483481/Royal-wedding-procession-rider-thrown-from-horse.html">runaway horse tossed his rider</a> a few yards away from the royal carriage as Prince William and Duchess Kate were leaving Westminster Abbey.<br /><br />Reports have cited a couple of possible reasons for the horse to panic: some said crowds were screaming, others blamed a trumpeter. Either way, horses spook easily and it is perfectly predictable to expect them to do so. As prey animals, they will panic and flee from frightening situations--and it doesn't take much. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/ch-acc.shtml">In New York City, Smoothie and Spotty</a> both died after spooking and bolting. And when a horse bolts, it is a very dangerous situation. Last year was a particularly gruesome year from carriage horse spooking accidents worldwide, and <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Spooked-Horse-Bolts-With-Wedding-Carriage-Sophie-Clarke-Misses-Church-Ceremony/Article/200812315180704">weddings</a> are <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://gothamist.com/2008/09/01/horse_drawn_buggy_runs_amok_in_broo.php">another prime setting</a> for horse spooking accidents.<br /><br />Planning a wedding, or know someone who is? Be reasonable and compassionate, and say no to putting horses into the middle of those spooky situations. It isn't too difficult to imagine what could happen if a panicked horse were to a trample a child. It happened <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3QbTUQgPL8"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">last year in Iowa.</span></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images</span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-41556547735604156072011-04-29T21:13:00.005-04:002011-04-29T21:26:53.559-04:00And...they're off!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fu0uzOimdj0/TbtkIXyCtaI/AAAAAAAABvQ/S312VDVNXy8/s1600/4.30.11.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 257px; height: 174px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fu0uzOimdj0/TbtkIXyCtaI/AAAAAAAABvQ/S312VDVNXy8/s320/4.30.11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601180656550983074" border="0" /></a>The slave drivers are gearing up for another steamy summer. This is Tenth Avenue, around 44th Street. The general vicinity of one of the most gruesome carriage horse spooking accidents in recent memory, the accident that killed a young horse named Spotty in 2006. I've got plenty of spies in Hell's Kitchen and the one who snapped this photo tells me that this horse was making very good time making his way up the avenue. Hope the driver is watching out for those post-winter epic potholes.sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-59530502704832239332011-04-17T08:51:00.004-04:002011-04-17T09:04:46.865-04:00Shamrock Stables, not long for W. 45th Street<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzWBHfPgE9zIn3K-hAIVjN4AvQPNRW2vypBPkH1KTf8xeXp88iVibRbRdesiAGzhlOOUIUHE2Ab-azDtNeAVgGijCvh7iLJ67K1lIl9l82iBV7AyW-yb4sGwc0EzQ4atiZxMTrklFdWCy/s1600/Shamrock+4.15.11.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 235px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzWBHfPgE9zIn3K-hAIVjN4AvQPNRW2vypBPkH1KTf8xeXp88iVibRbRdesiAGzhlOOUIUHE2Ab-azDtNeAVgGijCvh7iLJ67K1lIl9l82iBV7AyW-yb4sGwc0EzQ4atiZxMTrklFdWCy/s320/Shamrock+4.15.11.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596537297441995138" border="0" /></a>Demolition is under way at the building that was Shamrock Stables. It was kept running for years with a $55,000 monthly subsidy from the city. This, at a time of painful cuts to budgets, agencies, and programs.<br /><br />The city supports the industry and overlooks its numerous violations of law regarding the care of the horses, fares, and other aspects of the cash-only industry.<br /><br />After several threats of closure, the stable shut down on June 7, 2010. Most of the horses were crammed into other city stables, which already had substandard stall sizes. Some other Shamrock horses almost certainly didn't fare as well. The same day of the closing, a trailer from Shamrock was seen in New Holland, Pa., at the auction, where "kill buyers" buy horses for meat.sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-28724904169355326482011-03-13T14:15:00.023-04:002011-03-13T20:09:40.620-04:00Be safe, PaddyNew York City welcomes best-selling Irish-American author Mary Higgins Clark as th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lekxtWgoxRY/TX0OXeaCn8I/AAAAAAAABtk/viWkr4UIjqI/s1600/St.%2BPatrick%2527s%2BDay%2B2010.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 143px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lekxtWgoxRY/TX0OXeaCn8I/AAAAAAAABtk/viWkr4UIjqI/s320/St.%2BPatrick%2527s%2BDay%2B2010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583634909471350722" border="0" /></a>e grand marshal for the St. Patrick's Day parade on Thursday. In a break with the event's tradition of having the grand marshal walk the parade route, Ms. Clark will ride in a horse-drawn carriage to be pulled by a horse named Paddy. A very bad idea, indeed, although neither Ms. Clark nor the city seems to have given it much thought.<br /><br />This decision immediately brought to mind the well-known dangers of putting horses into parades, especially large and noisy ones that are lined with noisy revelers and filled with pipes and drums.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Silw7jDp_vU/TX0aY9YS57I/AAAAAAAABtw/V7jQtclwhYs/s1600/Bellevue%252C%2BIowa%2Bparade.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 127px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Silw7jDp_vU/TX0aY9YS57I/AAAAAAAABtw/V7jQtclwhYs/s200/Bellevue%252C%2BIowa%2Bparade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5583648129104930738" border="0" /></a>A July Fourth parade last year in <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=11088067">Bellevue, Iowa</a> took a deadly turn when two horses spooked and bolted, killing a 61-year-old woman (the carriage driver's wife) and injuring 24 others, mostly small children who lined the parade route. One of the horses was killed. "It looked like a war zone," one witness said of the injuries in Iowa. "Backboards everywhere, kids strapped to them."<br /><br />Cities and towns that put horse-drawn carriages into parades or 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 2010, the list of grisly carriage accidents in the United States was a long one. New York City has the highest horse-drawn carriage accident rate in the nation. Although human fatalities haven't happened yet, <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2006-01-05/news/18331574_1_carriage-horse-gelding">the 2006 accident that claimed the life of carriage horse Spotty</a> critically injured the carriage driver (and occupants of a station wagon also were injured). <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/09/15/2007-09-15_carriage_horse_dies_after_tree_crash_nea.html">Smoothie, the horse who died in 2007</a>, had bolted in terror after being spooked by the sound of a drum in Central Park.<br /><br />Tens of thousands of people have signed paper and online petitions calling for a ban in New York City of this industry. It is inhumane as well as dangerous. Horses spook easily, and it should come as no surprise when it happens in such a noisy place as a huge parade. No one in Iowa expected such a tragic turn. It just happened.<br /><br />We hope that this year's parade is safe and joyous. If it is uneventful in terms of a spooking accident, be assured that it is only a matter of time until the next serious accident. Perhaps it is just as well that this year's parade route is shortened. The threat of injury, death, and legal liability make the city look reckless, mean-spirited, and foolish.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Learn more about why a ban is needed. Visit the websites of <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/">The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages</a> and <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.horseswithoutcarriages.org/">Horses Without Carriages International</a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Photo credits:</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">2010 NYC St. Patrick's parade photo by Richard Perry/The New York Times </span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">2010 Bellevue, Iowa parade photo by The Associated Press/via The Telegraph Herald, Karina Schroeder</span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-23612639246225628752010-08-01T10:45:00.008-04:002010-08-14T16:41:33.065-04:00A gruesome year...so far<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/TFWq4KDDSGI/AAAAAAAABr4/32qeK4B7V1A/s1600/Humboldt+Co+Calif.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 198px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/TFWq4KDDSGI/AAAAAAAABr4/32qeK4B7V1A/s320/Humboldt+Co+Calif.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500490401649477730" border="0" /></a>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 <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.northcoastjournal.com/blogthing/2010/07/31/horse-drawn-carriage-accident-old-town/">The (Humboldt County) Journal</a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">.</span> 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.<br /><br />This comes just weeks after horses spooked during a July Fourth parade in <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/horses-dragged-driver-as-564536.html">Bellevue, Iowa</a>, 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8180975.Carriage_driver_injured_as_horse_gallops_through_York_streets/">York, England</a>; <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/horse-involved-in-carriage-crash-resting-042310">Atlanta, Georgia;</a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/theroyalfamily/7626380/Duke-of-Edinburgh-injures-ankle-after-crashing-carriage-into-tree-stump.html">suburban London (Windsor Estate)</a> and <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/01/25/elderly-man-horses-injured-stagecoach-accident/">Mesa Fire, Ariz.</a> Not surprisingly, there are also vehicle-versus-carriage crashes, like these in <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Horse-Carriage-91464974.html">Philadelphia</a> (5 people, 5 horses hurt) and <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.juneaublogger.com/updates/?p=3633">Anchorage, Alaska</a>. As you can imagine, vehicles have the safety advantage.<br /><br />Is this a new phenomenon? Not! Here is a <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/2010/07/05/parades-where-people-were-killed-or-injured-by-stampeding-horses">sampling</a> that a commenter posted in Iowa. Oh, and here is list from "spookedhorses" blog of <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://spookedhorses.blogspot.com/">carriage and buggy crashes</a>, many from 2009.sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-68817513454302212042010-07-15T18:36:00.009-04:002010-07-17T10:33:18.595-04:00Bloomberg hates animals. Got it?On another note, the city of NYC continues its <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/13/nyregion/13geese.html?_r=1&hp">slaughter of Canada geese</a>; when people found out about Bloomberg's latest stupid assault, they were disgusted. He tried to make bad guys out of the US Department of Agriculture, but those who did the exceptionally inhumane gassing were merely doing Bloomberg's bidding. Here is one comment:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;">OMG.. that is so cruel. I am a Park Manager from another city. Believe me, if I try anything even close to what you have done I would be applying for a new job. These are living creatures… if you dont want them around relocate them or introduce a population control plan (i.e. remove the eggs from the nests and dispose of them)… Dont you have animal cruelty laws in NYC… OMG<br />— Leo (#755)<br /><br />I will NEVER visit NYC while banal decisions like this are allowed to transpire… The city and it’s citizens exist in a democracy, which through action or inaction manifests collective will or lack there of. The people who make the decisions in NYC are clearly not intelligent. As many of the individuals in the 30 pages of comments have illustrated, there are far more humane and even creative ways of dealing with what contextually is a fairly simple problem. Yes, all cities exist with problems and poor decisions, but the act of taking life needlessly represents a myriad of problems that likely outweighs any desire for rational and compassionate solution. F.D. Roosevelt was simply wrong; Man has nothing to fear but LAZINESS. Try harder.--Nigel (#742)<br /><br />The geese have obviously progressed over the years, in the sense they thrive despite all our attempts to harass, shoot, gas and “exterminate” (another term from WW2) them.<br />But, what does all this say about our own species?<br />A species apparently incapable of building a plane able to withstand collision with an 8 lb bird. — PattyA (#709)<br /><br />Re: Bloomberg, geese-gassing: Yes, he ordered it. People need to keep this in mind. Do you think this would have happened otherwise?<br />Remember, most of you people who are commenting here did NOT vote last year–you welcomed Bloomberg back for a third term, despite two referenda in which the voters rejected extension of term limits. Around 90% of registered voters did not even bother. For this, we were rewarded with more Bloomberg, more killing of wildlife.— Delaney (#730)</span></blockquote><blockquote style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);"><blockquote><div class="comment-content"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><cite></cite></span></p></blockquote></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><div class="comment-content"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><cite></cite></span><cite></cite></p></blockquote><p></p> </div></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></span>The mayor of New York City has no regard for non-human life. Carriage horses, pigeons, raccoons, Canada geese--he despises them all.<br /><br />If you hurry, you may be able to add your own <a href="http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/officials-euthanize-nearly-400-geese-from-prospect-park/?apage=32#comments">comments</a> (as of Saturday, July 17, comments were still being accepted--and hundreds of disgusted New Yorkers are weighing in).<br /><br />WHY did NYC approve this slaughter? Good question. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://washingtonsquarepark.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/why-did-new-york-city-approve-a-massacre-of-400-geese-in-prospect-park/">The Washington Square Park blogger</a> tackles this one.<br /><blockquote style="font-family:courier new;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></blockquote><script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript">_uacct = "UA-4707786-1";urchinTracker();</script>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-85280179238797157662010-05-16T08:49:00.009-04:002010-05-16T09:55:43.446-04:00Stay active!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6Une8EK8KDzGlT2VKijK2LurLABH6d8V6JzU5nwkVWWA_IpI2uFGKbfAupXVKgkA4jA4YBY3Xfqo6L8Jnt8eCRfvNQFSmBWSQhee5nQxECFaSEx6dPxPHHiQIJHdz9QpHwdqGDWSYTjj/s1600/May+10+2010+crash+accident.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6Une8EK8KDzGlT2VKijK2LurLABH6d8V6JzU5nwkVWWA_IpI2uFGKbfAupXVKgkA4jA4YBY3Xfqo6L8Jnt8eCRfvNQFSmBWSQhee5nQxECFaSEx6dPxPHHiQIJHdz9QpHwdqGDWSYTjj/s320/May+10+2010+crash+accident.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5471855975180918034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Another accident, media take notice</span><br />Predictably, the rate of accidents involving horse-drawn carriages in New York City is increasing. The drivers are displaying more recklessness and arrogance than ever before, now that the Tweeders in city government have rewarded this <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://gothamist.com/2009/11/15/central_park_carriage_horse_drivers.php">corrupt</a>, cash-only industry. Already this month, we know of <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://gothamist.com/2010/05/13/carriage_horse_crash.php">two crashes</a> near the park (on May 1, and on May 10).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Gothamist</span> covered these accidents--but only after the <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/">Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages</a> and <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.friendsofanimals.org/">Friends of Animals</a> sent details and photographs of the crashes. It was only after the stories were published online by <span style="font-style: italic;">Gothamist</span> that the ASPCA finally <a href="http://gothamist.com/2010/05/14/carriage_horses_unharmed_in_central.php"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">acknowledged</span> </a>the accidents, and reiterated the dangerous of mixing cars and horses on city streets. It's too bad that ASPCA has remained silent on this issue during the last few years, apparently because of its corporate stance not to make waves (that would hurt its fund-raising?) So, for now, the horses will continue to suffer.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">Gothamist</span> news coverage reaches a large audience in NYC and beyond. It would not have happened without the efforts of activists. Let's keep the momentum going and watch as the story unfolds online. It is a global story. Indeed, <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-eldridge/the-harsh-reality-for-new_b_575391.html">Laura Eldridge</a> got it right in her blog on Huffington Post.sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-61299001495394466852010-05-13T20:25:00.011-04:002010-05-15T13:36:19.358-04:00I'm back, things are worse than ever<span style="font-style: italic;">Be the horses' eyes and ears</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEQq7wN4tNIQxlWyfR1lelueKQSg2j5ZJqACySn0YyGzzAwQN-Rv3IEJOTeU4LbVfNBAtM-aFsBRoHVDuW0IAoPSe_2UIsP8TMqS1Hi34fR0gYbHb9OMEo1OMlrAkZ5OGIEYtC04DG4Lh/s1600/action.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 159px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEQq7wN4tNIQxlWyfR1lelueKQSg2j5ZJqACySn0YyGzzAwQN-Rv3IEJOTeU4LbVfNBAtM-aFsBRoHVDuW0IAoPSe_2UIsP8TMqS1Hi34fR0gYbHb9OMEo1OMlrAkZ5OGIEYtC04DG4Lh/s200/action.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470922795588772418" border="0" /></a>The mistreatment of New York City carriage horses is getting worse by the minute, now that the drivers and owners are being rewarded for fraudulent and reckless behavior. At least two carriage accidents have happened in the 2 weeks or so since the diminutive mayor bloomberg signed into law the crappy industry bill. No surprise that it was pushed through by the corrupt Council Speaker Christine Quinn.<br /><br />No media coverage of the crashes, and no word on the condition of the horses. The useless ASPCA, once again, does nothing. It could have done a lot to end this dangerous and inhumane industry, but instead it did ... NOTHING.<br /><br />The pics tell the story. Thanks for the photographic evidence. Keep it coming.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/S-yew6KnAHI/AAAAAAAABqA/A7xYjxwGT4A/s1600/May+1+2010+accident+1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 194px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/S-yew6KnAHI/AAAAAAAABqA/A7xYjxwGT4A/s200/May+1+2010+accident+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470922210432974962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Vc8fUFn8pWqRKqSJdfQwr7Fms9GMBgSNduhb4cBmJbmEj9TXoH65N2muvvn5t-nOWwJ9zSQwrowqT-sHH59nwLOQSjE107olq89zvQHrnff2FOx3yQxHWbYqJs0fD4zJD52VAoqkVz2T/s1600/May+1+2010.2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 295px; height: 187px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Vc8fUFn8pWqRKqSJdfQwr7Fms9GMBgSNduhb4cBmJbmEj9TXoH65N2muvvn5t-nOWwJ9zSQwrowqT-sHH59nwLOQSjE107olq89zvQHrnff2FOx3yQxHWbYqJs0fD4zJD52VAoqkVz2T/s200/May+1+2010.2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470923839994294738" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:courier new;">Top photo: Hell's Kitchen correspondent, May 13, 2010, at Shamrock Stables in NYC;</span><br /><span style="font-family:courier new;">Bottom 2 photos: NYC tourist, May 1, 2010, at Columbus Circle, after a horse-spooking accident.</span></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-79073224275154667772010-02-15T12:36:00.010-05:002010-02-15T13:21:16.627-05:00Hugs & kisses? Or near-misses?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/S3mK5s3gJsI/AAAAAAAABmU/hBVFi97VsAY/s1600-h/What+were+they+thinking.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 99px; height: 93px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/S3mK5s3gJsI/AAAAAAAABmU/hBVFi97VsAY/s200/What+were+they+thinking.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438530748927715010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >From the "What Were They Thinking Department"<br /></span>This bad idea never have made it past the brainstorming session: Nivea plastered its ho-hum branding all over the New York City carriage horses on February 14, 2010. That's right, the horses were parading around with a ridiculous branded message across their backsides. Talk about product placement. How embarrassing. (Nivea isn't playing in the same arena as the bigger brands; otherwise, this gaffe would be up there with "New Coke" as a marketing debacle for the ages.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRCHIf0nNDW8Z5Kh8Pg8Q4QazPgam80MaWAeiEeogLyD_ICE-O0WeuKWcXU7siyV7DN92jyfJeQ-2EGkm1cNFGLOAearpHo-OiC218jH6_ctxw-rolOTQX-up55h4ZCxg2eD2HK4s-OIE/s1600-h/Nivea.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggRCHIf0nNDW8Z5Kh8Pg8Q4QazPgam80MaWAeiEeogLyD_ICE-O0WeuKWcXU7siyV7DN92jyfJeQ-2EGkm1cNFGLOAearpHo-OiC218jH6_ctxw-rolOTQX-up55h4ZCxg2eD2HK4s-OIE/s200/Nivea.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5438530401354095970" border="0" /></a>"Share the hugs & kisses," tourists were exhorted as part of this branding flop.<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > </span>That's right, as the aroma of fresh manure wafted all around, fine ladies and gents clambered into the bedazzled carriages for a ride. <span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />What can we expect next? Burger King branding? Big Mac coupons?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">ACTION ALERT!</span> This is too easy! Please contact Nivea (owned by<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> Beiersdorf) </span>and tell the company that you will not buy its products anymore. Let the company know the facts about New York City's carriage industry. Nivea got this wrong: It is a heartless industry. This is not about "sharing the love," but rather sharing the misery.<br /><br />Leslie Kickham, 203-563-5821<br />email: lkickham@bdfusa.com<br /><br />Christina Stejskal, 212-582-1111<br /><span></span><a href="mailto:christina.stejskal@pmkbnc.com;_ylt=AsYft0bApumJhQnFdZxwLB_jba9_;_ylu=X3oDMTE4OXVzdXM5BHBvcwMxBHNlYwNuZXdzUHJDb250YWN0BHNsawNjaHJpc3RpbmFzdGU-" target="_blank"></a>email: christina.stejskal@pmkbnc.com<br /><br />Ms. Kickham and Ms. Stejskal are in public relations for Nivea.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br /><br /></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-77919345493224603482010-02-07T18:55:00.007-05:002010-02-07T19:24:20.834-05:00Don't make a date with cruelty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHh01WMEl31krrpGo1AAepJ8mxtRemKXUGDnubMN9B0CRRZmxdHsiIbnNdhBmn0YcM8OC16r6h-OzDvyY-Vcq4_Zj7Vxm_a1YrGex8kB_UYaI55xJKCxWxiOLmF_56dHWh2i0vA1eYffZq/s1600-h/water+Feb+7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 139px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHh01WMEl31krrpGo1AAepJ8mxtRemKXUGDnubMN9B0CRRZmxdHsiIbnNdhBmn0YcM8OC16r6h-OzDvyY-Vcq4_Zj7Vxm_a1YrGex8kB_UYaI55xJKCxWxiOLmF_56dHWh2i0vA1eYffZq/s320/water+Feb+7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435654861086501010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" >Say "no" to a carriage ride</span><br />Not a drop of water for the horses on January 27, when this picture was taken at Central Park. This is in blatant violation of the law. The Department of Health is completely unable, and apparently unwilling, to enforce the laws requiring the industry to provide an adequate amount of potable water for the carriage horses.The spigots to these troughs are turned off for half the year, and the drivers claim they carry water in buckets. That would be a neat trick, since the horses need a minimum of 10 to 12 gallons of water a day in cold weather.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Photo by Donny Moss (January 27, 2010, Central Park)<br />Related post on <a href="http://carriagehorsesnyc.blogspot.com/2010/02/is-doh-actually-admitting-impossibility.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Carriage Horses -- NYC </span></a>blog<br /></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-81912772795986003122010-01-26T20:00:00.000-05:002010-01-26T20:00:00.982-05:00None so blind<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn1hMlGr2s8dvPggRlHw7NYNrDLrbqvYS3JGYoG2UkCR8jSrRb7UqOwe_laYwu9uCt11509UQJiX46h7-WaOTwCiyeRrju6TU4LHbNkut2cQ1HrXDMx5rrkuQl6cCfcL7UdJ_9BUNvP_n/s1600-h/Bit+in+mouth+horse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJn1hMlGr2s8dvPggRlHw7NYNrDLrbqvYS3JGYoG2UkCR8jSrRb7UqOwe_laYwu9uCt11509UQJiX46h7-WaOTwCiyeRrju6TU4LHbNkut2cQ1HrXDMx5rrkuQl6cCfcL7UdJ_9BUNvP_n/s320/Bit+in+mouth+horse.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430120029587047186" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Take a look. You don't have to own horses or be a veterinarian to see that this is a problem, which is the gist of a comment on a <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_raV25MHxnc">YouTube video</a> that shows New York City carriage horses. One commenter wrote: "Oh my god.. look at the bits in the horses mouth those are probably killing their mouths, they should use lighter bits." Indeed.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Video by YouTube member <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/PitytheHorses"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"PitytheHorses"</span></a></span><br /></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-58826907565449964222010-01-23T02:17:00.006-05:002010-01-23T02:41:08.301-05:00Philadelphia, set them free!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzKHou70c10"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 217px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/S1qmOtTrSTI/AAAAAAAABks/JgXtKpzVVy8/s320/Philadelphia+HWCI+2+12509.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429835072359057714" border="0" /></a>It seems like "deju vu" seeing the video from a <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzKHou70c10">recent peaceful demonstration</a> in Philadelphia. The miserable icy weather, the horses standing in the chill for hours, the driver enjoying a smoke inside the carriage while the horses get soaked with a freezing rain. Looks like New York City, to be sure. The Philadelphia activists and others around the world joined forces and staged peaceful demonstrations on December 5, a day of action sponsored by Horses Without Carriages International, the global initiative that seeks to ban the use of horse-drawn carriages. Learn more at <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.horseswithoutcarriages.org/">HWCI.</a><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Philadelphia demonstration was staged by Pennsylvania Chapter of <a href="http://www.friendsofanimals.org/">Friends of Animals</a>.</span></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-62859473733449941782010-01-18T02:19:00.007-05:002010-01-18T02:33:38.684-05:00A rising tide of protests against BLM<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhFx-03YJrvaM-cZ11dFUkKD0W6qOI5fxXLQYPWvWaHE7cP8o9U-KA5Mgs0qIH6F1egGOoy5JStvOKI-GKOK5yTocd9xdo94U1puj21b2ubW_ZVMdMW2CdwOngpWCuMVmcFA53u6IF4yj/s1600-h/wild+horse+demo+nyc1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOhFx-03YJrvaM-cZ11dFUkKD0W6qOI5fxXLQYPWvWaHE7cP8o9U-KA5Mgs0qIH6F1egGOoy5JStvOKI-GKOK5yTocd9xdo94U1puj21b2ubW_ZVMdMW2CdwOngpWCuMVmcFA53u6IF4yj/s320/wild+horse+demo+nyc1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427979268869637410" border="0" /></a><br />A first look at Sunday's <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yqICOdvGV0">protest in New York City</a> against the Calico roundup of America's wild horses and burros...sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-39323507948844628782010-01-15T23:24:00.005-05:002010-01-18T02:15:55.969-05:00This kind of help horses don't need<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/S0oKzJRgUVI/AAAAAAAABkM/Tj3K7OWFduo/s1600-h/Cloud--Freedom%27s+Escape.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 232px; height: 156px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/S0oKzJRgUVI/AAAAAAAABkM/Tj3K7OWFduo/s320/Cloud--Freedom%27s+Escape.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425160574900130130" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">NYC protest Sunday, Jan. 17!</span><br />The courageous and self-possessed stallion who has been dubbed "Freedom" is now known around the world. He fought for and won the freedom that is his by law but under attack by the fiscally mismanaged Bureau of Land Management.<br /><br />Thus, the BLM's unlawful and inhumane roundups of America's wild horses continue, and with tragic consequences. In addition to the deaths of foals and other horses during the roundup by helicopter, there are now approximately 32,000 horses in "holding pens." No shelter, no ground cover, no room to run freely. A how-to primer on cruelty. This <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-0OK3i1YFI">video </a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">s</span>hows how lifeless the wild horses look after being confined in this miserable setting. And don't miss this updated and comprehensive <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com/2010/01/14/freedoms-escape-expanded-observers-report/">humane observers' account</a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);"> </span>(January 10, 2010) of Freedom's heartbreaking and glorious escape. Mares from his band tried to follow but could not make it. Heartbreaking. As the Cloud Foundation notes in its letter asking President Obama for a moratorium on these roundups, the government is already stockpiling more than 33,000 wild horses in government holding facilities at a cost to taxpayers of $100,000 a day. Make your voice heard--<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/news-events-a-media/action-alerts/193-unified-letter-requesting-a-moratorium-on-roundups">send a letter</a> to President Obama asking for an immediate halt to the roundups, and demand an investigation of the mismanagement at the BLM. <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);" href="http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/news-events-a-media/action-alerts/261-ask-senators-on-subcommittee-for-hearings-on-blm">Let your lawmakers in Washington know</a> of your unwavering support for an immediate halt on the roundups and hearings on the waste and mismanagement at the BLM. Visit the website of The Cloud Foundation for more information and <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/news-events-a-media/action-alerts">action alerts.</a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">New York City Action Alert! If you live in or near New York City, stand up for America's wild horses and burros on Sunday, January 17, 2010! Take part in a regional demonstration against the Calico roundups. The demo is from 1 pm to 3 pm at Columbus Circle in Manhattan (near the southwest edge of Central Park). Bring signs and plenty of passion!</span> More information on this and other demos <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/index.php/news-events-a-media/action-alerts/253-2010-01-05-23-27-56">here.</a><br />From the archives of The Cloud Foundation: <a href="http://www.horseconnection.com/site/pdf_docs/wild_horse.pdf">"The Roundup of the McCollough Peaks Wild Horse Herd"</a><br />WATCH <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FWefEkv85Q">"Disappointment Valley"</a><br /><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-4707786-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-79609475461580407452009-12-08T23:25:00.010-05:002009-12-08T23:57:29.004-05:00Where carriage horses live<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmLX_lA8SwuAMewW0odkWMXpyHmq2fKeHnmVEdh0_qCjHRGSsduGeU3YQbBjde4W5pwNMSMMPhBWItNaPw3h7iFJ1KgqPI4pYdjQpi3DBEL-fEl3PlvzeoaouWWB4bQhjko4oXsGycgMt/s1600-h/IMG00527-20091207-1826.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmLX_lA8SwuAMewW0odkWMXpyHmq2fKeHnmVEdh0_qCjHRGSsduGeU3YQbBjde4W5pwNMSMMPhBWItNaPw3h7iFJ1KgqPI4pYdjQpi3DBEL-fEl3PlvzeoaouWWB4bQhjko4oXsGycgMt/s320/IMG00527-20091207-1826.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413094478141013106" border="0" /></a>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 <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/ch-news-20091205.shtml">report</a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>on the website of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages. Then take a look at the <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjV5TACuRLA">interior</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>of the stable, which is located at 538 W. 38th Street. (You really should see it for yourself.)<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">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 </span><a style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HeartforAnimalRights#p/u/3/WqmDCmLEXKY">news conference</a><span style="font-style: italic;"><a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/HeartforAnimalRights#p/u/3/WqmDCmLEXKY"> </a>co-sponsored by the coalition, Friends of Animals, and Heart for Animal Rights.</span></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-54504556646983249072009-10-11T11:45:00.008-04:002009-10-11T22:43:11.284-04:00No life for a horse<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_3dshD1WZr_H5d_mauMXGqvcXWXNtatYxwFJ_q8-8pSaVhPyJ4ziV90uTORaifaxxGaoRTmRjiYKm5aoSEJalDW8_i9Oh_xEkqTagcPx44n3S_174tK_0AnT-NuopVJEmziD5HXl8Ya8/s1600-h/Charleston+2009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_3dshD1WZr_H5d_mauMXGqvcXWXNtatYxwFJ_q8-8pSaVhPyJ4ziV90uTORaifaxxGaoRTmRjiYKm5aoSEJalDW8_i9Oh_xEkqTagcPx44n3S_174tK_0AnT-NuopVJEmziD5HXl8Ya8/s320/Charleston+2009.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391374489640604210" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Animal suffering is not a tourist attraction</span></span><br />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.<br /><br />"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 <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://earthvegan.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-horses-had-wishes.html">visit to Charleston</a>, 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 <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/ch-acc.shtml">dangerous</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span>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.<span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo: From "If Horses Had Wishes"/earthvegan.blogspot.com</span><br />Related: "<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/aug/20/horse-code-violations/">Horse-code violations</a>" (The Post and Courier)<br />"<a href="http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/oct/09/horse-pulling-carriage-falls/">Horse Pulling Carriage Falls</a>" (The Post and Courier)<br />"<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.blindersthemovie.com/">Blinders</a>," the award-winning documentary about NYC's carriage industry</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">Learn more: <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://banhdc.org/">Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages-NYC</a></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-53896864974177292262009-08-11T11:54:00.005-04:002009-08-11T12:19:09.366-04:00Managing to extinction<object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2qp_EXnlXxg&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2qp_EXnlXxg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Take Action </span>to stop the Bureau of Land Management unwise plan to remove as many as 70 horses from Cloud's herd in the Pryor Mountains. This ill-advised plan, which is scheduled to begin around September 1, will threaten the very existence of the herd and any genetic viability for future survival. The BLM apparently is ignoring all guidance from the public as well as from a <a href="http://thecloudfoundation.xtomic.com/index.php/action-alerts/71-noted-equine-geneticist-dr-gus-cothran-warns-against-massive-removal">noted equine geneticist</a>.<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">The Cloud Foundation is asking for your help: "Call and email President Obama and Vice President Biden and tell them that you do not want a misguided agency destroying America's wild horses. Call 201-456-9000 or 202-456-1111, or <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/">write</a>. Tell them to intervene on behalf of the Pryor Wild Horse Herd! The BLM appears to be on a rampage to manage wild horses to extinction."<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ginger has said that rounded-up horses could well end up in the hands of "kill buyers." Please take action to stop this ill-advised and reckless plan that is a consequence of bureaucratic mismanagement.<br />Also see a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qp_EXnlXxg">related video</a> from Ginger Kathrens on the proposed roundup. Cloud and his family are at risk, along with dozens of others.<br /></span></span></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-52791591599526332042009-07-09T21:26:00.004-04:002009-07-09T22:33:43.128-04:00Working Families Party Mayoral Forum<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Too important to miss!</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><br />Tony Avella is the people's choice!</span><br />Here is the Working Families Party Mayoral Forum webcast in its entirety. Michael R. Bloomberg is up first. Your patience will be rewarded when you hear New York City's wealthiest citizen stammer [cue in to 1:04] that "I made every dime that I have." It's precious. NEXT! Tony Avella follows, and the juxtaposition is very interesting. As we heard from those who were in attendance, and as you can see in viewing the webcast, the energy in the room was electrifying when Tony fielded questions--and he never minces any words. The applause tells the story. Comptroller William C. Thompson was next. Slick and well-rehearsed, as the story goes. He said something but I don't remember what it was.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">[Viewing note: Fast-forward the video by opening a full-screen view, and cueing in by clicking on the horizontal nav bar at the bottom of the control panel.]</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">July 2, 2009</span></span><br /><div id="mogulus_12471866451421049"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://static.livestream.com/grid/PlayerV2.swf?version=303" style="" id="mogulus_player_new_12471866451402998" name="mogulus_player_new_12471866451402998" bgcolor="#ffffff" quality="high" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="version=11&backgroundColor=0xffffff&allowFullScreen=true&allowScriptAccess=always&channel=workingfamilies&layout=playerEmbedDefault&backgroundAlpha=1&backgroundGradientStrength=0&chromeColor=0x000000&headerBarGlossEnabled=true&controlBarGlossEnabled=true&chatInputGlossEnabled=true&uiWhite=true&uiAlpha=0.5&uiSelectedAlpha=1&dropShadowEnabled=true&dropShadowHorizontalDistance=10&dropShadowVerticalDistance=10&paddingLeft=10&paddingRight=10&paddingTop=10&paddingBottom=10&cornerRadius=10&backToDirectoryURL=null&bannerURL=null&bannerText=null&bannerWidth=320&bannerHeight=50&showViewers=true&embedEnabled=true&chatEnabled=true&onDemandEnabled=true&programGuideEnabled=false&fullScreenEnabled=true&reportAbuseEnabled=false&gridEnabled=false&initialIsOn=false&initialIsMute=false&initialVolume=10&contentId=pla_3206492259607164565&initThumbUrl=http://mogulus-user-files.s3.amazonaws.com/chworkingfamilies/2009/07/02/178c7c83-95f6-478b-ae3e-08f84d599a5d_4560.jpg&playeraspectwidth=4&playeraspectheight=3&mogulusLogoEnabled=true&wmode=window" height="400" width="400"></embed></div><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-4707786-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-4707786-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-70385387986326252302009-06-05T22:08:00.016-04:002009-06-06T16:06:38.760-04:00It happened in New York City<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/SinR8EvpDNI/AAAAAAAABNQ/7Ja4ZnIUyZo/s1600-h/Horse+bulldozer.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 245px; height: 163px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/SinR8EvpDNI/AAAAAAAABNQ/7Ja4ZnIUyZo/s320/Horse+bulldozer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344033262847724754" border="0" /></a>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.<br /><br />For the sake of balance, <a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/archives/ch-acc-19910826-03.html">this photo by Vito Torelli</a> reminds of a terrible day--and a terrible summer--in New York City history. The August 26, 1991, headline in <span style="font-style: italic;">Newsday</span> 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. <a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.banhdc.org/archives/ch-acc-19910826-01.html">The New York Times</a> reported the story of the horse who collapsed in Central Park under the headline: "Carriage Horse Treated, Killed, Left for Sanitation Men."<br /><br />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.<br /><b><span style=";font-family:Arial;color:black;" ></span></b>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-86307754117825351242009-05-22T23:09:00.008-04:002009-05-23T23:39:07.905-04:00Are you ready for your close-up?<script src="http://www.google-analytics.com/urchin.js" type="text/javascript"><br /></script>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 <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"</span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://www.youtube.com/user/horsesinnyc">HorsesinNYC</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"</span> 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.<br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/la99WjQCRIY&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/la99WjQCRIY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object><br />The meeting was an expert panel discussion titled "<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);" href="http://banhdc.org/ch-news-20090511EF.shtml">Yay or Neigh: Should the Carriage Horse Industry Be Banned in NYC?</a>" Carriage industry representatives declined opportunities to take part.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">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.</span></span><br /><script type="text/javascript"><br />_uacct = "UA-4707786-1";<br />urchinTracker();<br /></script>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9187187100632209446.post-22903786760903555612009-05-17T21:32:00.013-04:002009-05-17T22:00:21.583-04:00From the "wish I wrote it" department<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/ShC-O4klmxI/AAAAAAAABLo/4U7ZnvcAOgM/s1600-h/horse+chains+4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 195px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qRfhQF7XFmE/ShC-O4klmxI/AAAAAAAABLo/4U7ZnvcAOgM/s200/horse+chains+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336974721347328786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">One activist's account</span><br />I am humbled after reading one woman's account of the Mother's Day demonstration outside of Central Park. This blogger, "The Feminist Texican," really tells it like it is. "Like hell I'm letting this one go," she explains in a better-late-than-never post that details the sexual harassment that carriage drivers are allowed to spew with impunity. Read her excellent post, "<a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" href="http://thefeministtexican.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/the-sexual-politics-of-meatheads/">The Sexual Politics of Meat[heads]</a>."<a href="http://thefeministtexican.wordpress.com/2009/05/15/the-sexual-politics-of-meatheads/#comments"><br /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Also interesting is one commenter's remark that complaint should be sent to Demos Demopoulos, of the Teamsters union (Local 553). Another great idea! Contact information:<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Demos Demopoulos</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br />Secretary-Treasurer</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br />International Brotherhood of Teamsters</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br />265 W. 14th Street, Suite 509</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br />New York, NY 10011</span><br /><br />Phone: 212-229-9754 OR 212-929-6828</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Photo courtesy of HFA</span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><a style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AJMUTwdRIM">Related video</a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;"> </span>from YouTube member HorsefeathersNYC</span></span>sorry4myfaulthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05461553099949720760noreply@blogger.com2