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"

An outdated and inhumane industry

Includes footage from the documentary "Blinders," by filmmaker Donny Moss
The Humane Society of the United States wants you to know that horse-drawn carriages do not belong on the streets of the nation's busiest city. This inhumane industry endangers horses as well as people.
HSUS supports a ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York City.
Tell Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg that you support a ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York City.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
FAX (212) 312-0700

A Compassionate Visitor to NYC

Carriages romantic? Reconsider
Becky, a horse owner in Kentucky, has been following the plight of New York City's carriage horses. In a comment on The Central Park Blog, she described the way her own horses are cared for: they get ample rest after a short ride, a good cooling down, and plenty of turnout. It paints a picture that is in stark contrast to the lives of the carriage horses, who are warehoused in standing stalls or small box stalls during the precious few hours that they are not hitched to the carriage. Granted, space is at a premium in Manhattan, a situation that exacerbates the problem of the welfare of these horses--most of whom live on upper floors and must climb steep ramps inside the stables. Not to mention the traffic and the creative solutions that some drivers employ, such as U-turns on Central Park South.

"Horse owners in KY have been arrested & charged with animal cruelty for less than they’re doing there," Becky observed in her post on The Central Park Blog. "When I visit Central Park this summer I’m certain I’ll view the carriages much differently - & won’t be paying to get in one."

Do your travel plans include a visit to NYC and a ride in a horse-drawn carriage? Please reconsider, and make sure you have the facts to make an informed decision. A full ban is supported by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Humane Society of the United States, Friends of Animals, and a large coalition of organizations.
The editor also wishes to recognize the superlative gutlessness of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who could do something about this industry--but won't. Maybe he had his spine removed? Every time he speaks, I am reminded of the famous headline: "Mush From the Wimp."
Photo courtesy of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

Get to know a carriage driver

Say, what's it like to be a carriage driver?
'Ask a New Yorker'(TM) spoke with Brandon, who in 2006 had been driving a carriage for 25 years--long enough to get the hang of the job, apparently. He described it this way:

"I can't think of another job where I can sit on my butt all day, bull****, and make a reasonable amount of money. Unless I was a politician or lawyer."

Nice, isn't it? That's the gist of it. The "New Yorker of the Month" threw in the standard insults about tourists asking silly questions--your basic New York attitude. Seriously! Read it
Susan d'Arcy makes a pointed observation of her own (HorseWatchNYC, May 12, 2008)

SUPPORT THE PROPOSED BAN ON HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES--ASK YOUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO CO-SPONSOR THE BILL (INTRO. 658) TO BAN THIS INHERENTLY INHUMANE INDUSTRY. Read an Expert Opinion on the horses' grim living conditions.

A full ban is supported by: American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, Friends of Animals, and dozens of other mainstream organizations working together through the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages.

The law, for what it's worth

When it comes to jaywalking and horn-honking, New Yorkers disregard laws every day. We overlook these violations and proceed at our own risk.

How often have you seen a New York City carriage horse working in steamy 90-degree heat? The New York City Administrative Code has this to say: "Carriage horses shall not be worked whenever the air temperature is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or above." (There is no consideration for humidity in the law).

So, the next time the mercury soars above 90 degrees, with high humidity, and when you witness the sight of these horses dragging carriages around and inhaling exhaust fumes, ask yourself: Is this necessary? Is it right? Read a recap of the 2007 audit report.

Please get involved with the growing movement that supports proposed legislation to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. For decades, attempts at regulation have failed miserably. A full ban is supported by a diverse coalition of dozens of organizations including: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, Friends of Animals, Farm Sanctuary, Equine Advocates, and many others.

NY Sun: "The Objective Standard"? Oh, My!

Truth is stranger than fiction...

The editorialist at The New York Sun dismisses Councilman Avella's courageous legislation as "horse pucky." (Oh, no, he didn't! Yes, seriously!) This assertion would appear to be based on a letter from the ever-quotable Shamrock Stables owner, Ian McKeever, who has taken to calling Mr. Avella "a horse's ass." In a recent letter to the Sun, Mr. McKeever is said to have described the carriage horses as being in "excellent health and condition," according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and "our own independent veterinarians." That's good enough evidence for the Sun, it seems, to throw its full support behind this cash-only business that the city also endorses. (Say, what's the latest on Cornelius Byrne, who was arrested on charges of offering a bribe to an official to overlook seven violations at Mr. Byrne's stable?)

In the interest of accuracy, Mr. McKeever's statement requires clarification. In 2007, the ASPCA fully supports the ban that is proposed by Councilman Avella, as does the Humane Society of the United States and a host of other respected humane organizations. These decisions are not made lightly and are based on a review of best available evidence that in 2007 is incontrovertible.

Depending on who is speaking, a visit that Mr. Avella made to Shamrock Stables about two years ago is described in very different terms. Mr. McKeever takes every available opportunity to recount his recollection of the visit by Mr. Avella: "He was very happy and had nothing negative to say." Councilman Avella sharply dismissed that assertion; he calls it a "total lie." On that visit, Mr. Avella said recently, he visited stables, inspected conditions, and submitted follow-up questions that he says were never answered.