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

Horse wanted, can pay $100

This is why the United States has a horse overpopulation "problem." People who have no business breeding horses are doing so anyway, as some kind of experiment, apparently. Can they afford it? No, but they can sell to a kill buyer easily enough.

Let's hope that the woman who placed this ad is on very friendly terms with a veterinarian and a farrier, for starters. Surely she won't be euthanizing her failures.

Slaughter is the leading cause of death for thoroughbred race horses. Among breeds, the American Quarterhorse is the one that is most often sent to slaughter. The prospects are grim for most horses. Horse slaughter is another industry fueled by greed.

Learn more about the Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act.

Gamblers, winners, and losers

Another Derby Day, a big upset, an uncertain future
Like circus animals, racehorses are trained to perform. Running the Kentucky Derby is the racetrack equivalent of a tiger jumping through a fiery hoop: These horses know the drill, and they're running for their lives. Mine That Bird, a 50-1 shot, pulled off a runaway victory in the 2009 Derby, no doubt leaving owners and bettors ecstatic.
I wonder how many Derby Day "losers" have been, or will soon be, shipped off to auction and a grim fate. From carriage horses to thoroughbreds, being dumped at auction is a common scenario for any horse who isn't a good money-maker.
Seen in the photo to the right is Colin, a lucky horse in this post-Derby tale from 2008. The blogger of this tale names names, thankfully.
Also: Tribute to some lost souls from 2008: Miss Fancy Gold and All Be At Once (near end of post).
Photo: FHOTD

He's pushing for horse slaughter

Ed Butcher and the showdown in Montana
The man who is pushing for a horse slaughter plant in Montana doesn't want any "harassment by two-bit hippies," a reference to the predictable protests at other horse slaughter plants over the documented discharges, dumping, foul odors, and utterly inhumane methods of slaughter.
Photo: Saskatchewan plant operated by the Velda Group/Cavel
Rep. Ed Butcher, sponsor of Montana House Bill 418 that is intended to attract a horse-slaughter facility to the state, seeks to portray assure his colleagues and constituents that a proposed horse slaughter plant will be clean, modern, and humane (all evidence to the contrary with former US horse slaughter facilities). In fact, the now-shuttered Cavel plant in Illinois had accumulated $100,000 in fines for sewer discharge violations. Importantly, Cavel was operated by the Belgium-owned Velda Group--the same company that is interested in setting up a slaughterhouse in Montana. The picture was even more dismal at the Cavel-operated Canadian plant in Saskatchewan, where mountains of horse entrails littered the landscape and the company is alleged to have dumped tankers full of horse blood into fields that allow runoff into the Qu'Appelle River. As for the much-touted economic boost that Butcher is promising, keep in mind that the Saskatchewan plant was placed in receivership last fall with debts of $25 million.
Read "Showdown at Horse Slaughter Pass," by John Holland of Equine Welfare Alliance
Read a CBC News investigation of horse slaughter in Canada

Urgent Action Alert: Both houses of the state legislature have returned this bill. Call Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and ask him to veto HB418 - the bill that would allow the creation of horse slaughter facilities in Montana. Please use the word "VETO."
Phone: 406-444-3111
Fax number: 406-444-5529

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