5-19/204 - May 16, 2010
 
 

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HORSE SENSE
Periodic updates about issues and actions concerning New York City's Carriage Horses +
Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages www.banhdc.org

Horses Without Carriages International www.horseswithoutcarriages.org

PLEASE FORWARD TO LISTS, FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES ** Another accident in NYC ** the truth about the new law ** Veggie Pride ** CM Rosie Mendez ** Huffing Post article ** Blinders

ANOTHER CARRIAGE ACCIDENT IN NYC!!
two so far in month of May
2nd accident See article in Gothamist: 5/13/10May Has Seen At Least Two Carriage Horse Crashes The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages (BANHDC) sent us the above photo of a carriage horse accident that took place in Central Park on Tuesday. They tell us this is the 2nd accident in 10 days, and details are scarce. We've been told the ASPCA is investigating, and have contacted them for more details. The previous incident took place on May 1st, when were told "a horse pulling a carriage spooked and crashed at the intersection of Central Park South and Columbus Circle." An eye witnesses said the horse ran across Central Park South against the traffic and "sideswiped several cars" before crashing. Donny Moss, director of Blinders, says he was contacted by a tourist from Seattle who said that when he arrived at the scene, the horse looked injured and there were a couple of emergency vehicles. We've contacted the ASPCA about this incident as well, and will update when we get more information. This all comes after the City Council approved changes to the carriage horse industry, which animal rights activists didn't believe would change anything. At the time of approval, a Friends of Animals rep said, "There is simply no way to make the industry in New York City healthy and humane for horses. It just simply can't be done."

UPDATE FROM GOTHAMIST
on NYC carriage horse accident
carriage Carriage Horses Unharmed In Central Park Crashes - 5/14/10 - The two carriage horse accidents that happened this month left two horses uninjured. But the ASPCA warns that these were lucky breaks for the equine, and the industry should be banned before a horse, or person, is seriously injured. The organization's Anita Kelso Edson told us, "Though no complaints were officially lodged with the ASPCA's Humane Law Enforcement Department on either accident, [we] independently investigated both incidents. Dr. Pamela Corey, the ASPCA's Director of Equine Veterinary Services, confirmed that both horses were examined multiple times and neither horse was injured." Corey tells us, "These two horses fortunately escaped unscathed from these accidents, but others in the past haven't been so fortunate. Horses and traffic are a dangerous combination." There have been similar accidents in the past, and some spooked horses have even died after deadly dashes through the city. Carriage photo - HorseWatchNYC.

HOW IT ALL CAME DOWN
activist community pulls it off - NOT the ASPCA
  • The Coalition received first set of photos of May 1st accident
  • We realize the accident was not reported in the media so we sent the information to Gothamist - an online popular journal - Nothing happens
  • Several days later we receive a different photo of a different accident on May 10
  • We take another shot at Gothamist and send photo and information. This time they bite.
  • Gothamist does the story and indicates they are checking with the ASPCA for more information
  • In an update (published here) they get feedback from the ASPCA
  • This small amount of publicity would NEVER have happened if it were not for several dedicated activists.

The ASPCA has informed us that they were aware of the two carriage horse accidents before we sent them the pictures. However, we felt then and now that they should have issued a press release to the "everyday" media in NYC saying what they did to Gothamist. After all, they have staff dedicated to public relations. Once again I ask you to make a quick call to their media person - Anita Kelso Edson at 212-876-7700 - "0" for operator -- or send her an e-mail at [email protected] Tell her we need the ASPCA to publicize their position on the horse-drawn carriage industry to the media and City Council.

THE TRUTH ABOUT NEW CARRIAGE HORSE LAW
new slideshow/video on Youtube
If you missed this from last week, please take the time to view it. It is a new slide show/video on Youtube that tells the truth behind this carriage horse bill that was recently signed into law. Click here to view it. For anyone who thinks that this bill was "negotiated" in good faith between the ASPCA, carriage industry and the City Council ... think again. Let me disabuse you of these notions. The carriage industry and politicians have a history of back room deals.

This is from one of the leaders of the carriage industry directly to me when I criticized this person for not negotiating the bill in good faith with the ASPCA. This was the response: You don't seem to understand that we are under no obligation to "negotiate" with you or anyone else, in good faith or otherwise; indeed, it would be counter-intuitive and self-destructive to "negotiate" with people who want to see you gone,. This bill was written and introduced by carriage drivers. Make no mistake about that. There is nothing in this bill that will negatively affect their ability to earn money. And it is window dressing for the horses, simply codifying conditions that already existed.

VEGGIE PRIDE PARADE
Sunday, May 16th
veggie pride Please come to the third annual Veggie Pride Parade in NYC on Sunday, May 16th at 1:00 PM. Click Here for more information.

The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages will be sharing a table with Friends of Animals. We took out this ad in the Veggie Pride program.

HOLD THE DATE - SATURDAY JUNE 5TH
Horses Without Carriages International Day
HWIC logo The first Saturday of June and December is Horses Without Carriages International Day in which groups in cities around the world stand in solidarity with each other to protest the inhumane and unsafe horse-drawn carriage industry. See our web site Horses Without Carriages International.

COUNCIL MEMBER ROSIE MENDEZ:
from May 2010 newsletter
This is an excerpt from the May newsletter: A long time advocate for an all out ban of carriage horses in Central Park, Rosie joined a few of her colleagues in voting against a bill that would make minor improvements to the conditions under which these animals are kept. Intro 35 increases the size of stalls, gives the horses more days off per year and requires more veterinary care. In exchange the fees for an hour's ride would be increased to $50 for 20 minutes. During the last session of the Council, Rosie had supported Intro 658 which would have banned the operating of horse drawn cabs in New York City. Rosie believes that carriage horses are dangerously out of place in midtown's congested streets. They are hazardous both for the animals and for the emergency vehicles, bikes, taxis and pedestrians. The horses' lifespans are curtailed by the inhospitable conditions of pollution, cramped quarters and overwork. Intro 35 passed the Council and is expected to be signed by the Mayor later this month.

THE HARSH REALITY FOR NYC CARRIAGE HORSES
by Laura Eldridge/NY-Class - Huffington Post
carriage horse 2 The Harsh Reality for New York City Carriage Horse - A recent bill passed by the City Council (Intro 35) granting 5 weeks vacation to NYC carriage horses received a great deal of attention in the press, with news anchors chuckling over such an extravagant benefit. It's easy to see why your average overworked New Yorker would feel a touch of envy, but the harsh reality of life for a carriage horse working in New York City is no laughing matter. They routinely work at least 9 hours a day, pulling a vehicle that weighs hundreds of pounds, on hard pavement, while breathing exhaust from cars, buses and taxis. Unaccustomed to the urban environment, horses can be "spooked" easily, by anything from another horse to a plastic shopping bag to a pedestrian, and cause accidents that inflict great damage on vehicles, drivers and most often, the horses themselves.

At the end of the day the horses return to their tiny stalls in stables housed in former tenement buildings on the far West side of the city, or as Jon Stewart once called it, "The sad-eyed horse carriage district." The cramped space doesn't allow these enormous animals to lie down or to move about freely and get the daily exercise that equine veterinarians agree they need. Once a horse hits the streets of Manhattan, its life expectancy is cut in half. After a few years of work, injuries and illness usually force the horses into retirement, not to a farm or pasture but to auctions in Pennsylvania where they can be sold to kill-buyers, transported to Mexico and Canada and slaughtered for meat. As for the 5 week vacation promised in the bill (Intro 35) recently signed into law by Mayor Bloomberg? It sure sounds nice, but don't expect to be running into a horse at the Jersey Shore anytime soon. The minimal regulations already in place are frequently ignored by carriage horse owners and drivers, with no repercussions. The NYC Department of Health and the Department of Consumer Affairs simply don't have the resources or the expertise to fulfill their oversight responsibilities for the 211 carriage horses. Continued.

BLINDERS: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE TRADITION
video documentary about the issue.
sad horse I recently learned that some of you are not familiar with this documentary. It was completed by Donny Moss a few years ago. It is about the carriage horse industry and won many awards including the prestigious Genesis award. For a time it was shown on the Documentary channel and was also available on line in its entirety.

A trailer is on Youtube but it does not give the entire film justice. You may order it from this web site. Blinders: the movie.

If your school, social club or other organization would be interested in showing this film, please get in touch with me at [email protected].

Donny Moss also just created this new video on Youtube called the ASPCA fails carriage horses. Click here.

JOIN US ON FACE BOOK & SIGN ONLINE PETITION
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead.

Thank you for caring about the horses, Elizabeth Forel - Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages - a standing committee of The Coalition for New York City Animals, Inc.

Please DONATE to our campaign to ban the inhumane and unsafe carriage horse industry.

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