|
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
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
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
anitae@ASPCA.org 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
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
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
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.
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
coalition@banhdc.org.
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
"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.
|
|
|
