Please make note of some of our major accomplishments over the past 4 1/2 years and know that we are not going away. While we do not yet have a ban, we have made progress:

• We persuaded the Comptroller's office to do a first ever performance audit of the City agencies that oversee the carriage industry - Department of Health and Consumer Affairs, which turned up damning evidence
• We got the NY Times to do a story when the actual audit was not even on the Comptroller's web site suggesting that it was being suppressed
• We convinced former Council Member Tony Avella to introduce the first ever bill to ban the industry -- this was a major accomplishment and brought much attention to this issue.
• We persuaded Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito to combine both the Avella bill and the vintage electric car bill - so that it would save the horses from the auctions -- something that the electric car bill did not do on its own.
• Over the last 4 1/2 years, we have made this an issue where there had been none for over 12 years -- reeducating the media, City Council and the public.
• We rescued Bobby, a former NYC carriage horse, from the slaughter auctions in June of 2010 -- proving that some of these horses do go to the auctions, where they are made available to kill buyers.
• In the last 4 1/2 years, we generated countless letters to the editor, articles, TV coverage on this issue -- educating many people and keeping the issue alive.
• In 2008, we started Horses Without Carriages International - a global coalition representing 19 cities that want an end to their horse-drawn carriage trade.

Unless Speaker Christine Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg have a major epiphany, there is no chance that Intro 86A will pass and be signed into law during their term in office. We need to accept that. But that does not mean that they are off the hook. They represent you. And you cannot let your Council Member off the hook either. Please contact your Council Member through the council web site by clicking here. Do the same with Mayor Bloomberg. Click here. Tell them that you want to see an end to the horse-drawn carriage industry and ask them to support Intro 86A.

As with most campaigns, it takes a village. While we have been involved consistently with this campaign for almost five years, other organizations have put in a few years, did flashy campaigns, raised money and left town. Fair weather friends. Still others say they are for a ban, but they do not show it with their actions. So I want to acknowledge our two Coalition partners -- Friends of Animals, an international animal rights organization, and Heart for Animals, a local grass roots animal rights organization for sticking with this. Special acknowledgment to Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, for understanding that this was a campaign that needed time and attention.

My biggest trouble these days are the poor horses in Central Park. Living in New York City, I see them sadly standing on the sides of busy streets with their heads right in the asses of the horse right in front of them! They walk in the rain, snow, and heat, pulling people all day long, rarely getting proper food, water or care. I know people may not understand - maybe they just want to take their kids for a ride through Central Park, but trust me, you'll do better for you're kids if you take them for a walk! Sometimes I wish I could just go and set them free on some sunny field somewhere where they could just roam free and run around all day. I know that sounds cheesy but if you saw them, trust me, you would want to do the same.

If you live in New York, next time you're walking down Central Park Blvd. and you see tourists considering going for a ride, suggest to them that they take a stroll through Strawberry Field instead--the horses cant go through there-or rent a bike...or now they even have people who ride bikes and have seats for people on the back! It's so much more fun! Like I said, some people just don't understand the severity of this situation so it's our job to spread the word in a loving way. If you're traveling to NYC and see these sweet creatures, give them a pet and send them some love, and hope that this will end soon. So that's all for today. Much love...

We will be planning events through this period - please stay tuned for details. One definite day to save is Saturday, December 4th, which is Horses Without Carriages International Day when groups in cities around the world protest the use of horse-drawn carriages in the tourist trade.

In case you forgot or did nor know what happened at the bill signing. Click here.

The circle on the picture is calling attention to the driver helping to move a young child to the seat next to him. This is against the law, as it is in NYC. It seems like the authorities look the other way.

See our Facebook page called No Walk in the Park. And while you are there, please join another anti carriage horse page by a colleague called 212HorsePower