Hugs & kisses? Or near-misses?

From the "What Were They Thinking Department"
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.)
"Share the hugs & kisses," tourists were exhorted as part of this branding flop. That's right, as the aroma of fresh manure wafted all around, fine ladies and gents clambered into the bedazzled carriages for a ride.
What can we expect next? Burger King branding? Big Mac coupons?
ACTION ALERT! This is too easy! Please contact Nivea (owned by Beiersdorf) 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.

Leslie Kickham, 203-563-5821
email: lkickham@bdfusa.com

Christina Stejskal, 212-582-1111
email: christina.stejskal@pmkbnc.com

Ms. Kickham and Ms. Stejskal are in public relations for Nivea.

Don't make a date with cruelty

Say "no" to a carriage ride
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.
Photo by Donny Moss (January 27, 2010, Central Park)
Related post on Carriage Horses -- NYC blog

None so blind

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 YouTube video 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.
Video by YouTube member "PitytheHorses"

Philadelphia, set them free!

It seems like "deju vu" seeing the video from a recent peaceful demonstration 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 HWCI.
The Philadelphia demonstration was staged by Pennsylvania Chapter of Friends of Animals.

A rising tide of protests against BLM

A first look at Sunday's protest in New York City against the Calico roundup of America's wild horses and burros...

This kind of help horses don't need

NYC protest Sunday, Jan. 17!
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.

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 video shows how lifeless the wild horses look after being confined in this miserable setting. And don't miss this updated and comprehensive humane observers' account (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--send a letter to President Obama asking for an immediate halt to the roundups, and demand an investigation of the mismanagement at the BLM. Let your lawmakers in Washington know 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 action alerts.
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! More information on this and other demos here.
From the archives of The Cloud Foundation: "The Roundup of the McCollough Peaks Wild Horse Herd"
WATCH "Disappointment Valley"

Where carriage horses live

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