5-44/230- November 28, 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 ** Dec. 4th Demo ** demand investigation of carriage accident - sign petition ** Horse statistics ** Reporting an accident ** great article in Ourtown ** celebrate Pale Male -- a true NYC icon

DEMAND INVESTIGATION INTO NYC CARRIAGE HORSE ACCIDENT
Please sign petition at Change.org if you have not already
carriage When New York City Buses and Carriage Horses Collide -- November 16, 2010 - Stephanie Feldstein -- On November 3rd, a New York City bus hit a horse during rush hour. The carriage horse was grazed by the bus on 7th Avenue, at around 54th street, at 5:30 p.m. A witness says the horse "was spooked and evidently frightened out of his/her wits." Who wouldn't be after colliding with a bus, especially if you were wearing blinders and couldn't see it coming? In New York City, the horses aren't the only ones wearing blinders. What business does a horse have being in the middle of Manhattan rush hour? Ethically, none. The horse-drawn carriage industry is desperately clinging to a notion of "nostalgia" in a city that's long past the era when animals and vehicles could share the road. In the past four years, at least six people have been hospitalized and three horses have died from carriage incidents in the city.

The horse also had no business being there from a legal perspective. Elizabeth Forel of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages says the law is very clear on this: horse-drawn carriages are not allowed between 57th St. and 42nd St., and between 7th and 9th avenues before 11:30 p.m., regardless of whether or not they have a passenger. The Gothamist reports that witness Merry Orling said the driver "did not even bother to check the condition of his horse, nor did he offer any comfort to the animal, who looked much worse for wear."

It seems that no one else has checked up on the horse either. The bus driver, who was at least on a street where he was supposed to be driving, was suspended for not reporting the accident. The carriage driver, on the other hand, has ridden off into the sunset. None of the relevant agencies appear to be looking into the incident, and some of them don't even seem to know that it happened. The problem is that the carriage horse industry holds the reins in New York City. Earlier this year, when the New York City Council had the opportunity to end the industry and retire the horses, they voted instead to give the carriage drivers a raise. The modest provisions related to the horses themselves, like cutting back on their sweatshop work hours, were touted by Council Speaker Christine Quinn as a "huge step forward."

I'm not even sure I'd call it a small limp forward, especially considering that previously existing laws - like restrictions on taking a horse into Midtown - aren't enforced. Tell the Department of Consumer Affairs to investigate this accident and punish the driver to the full extent of the law. Every day those horses are driven into the city, it's putting public (and horse) safety at risk; the carriage industry needs to be held accountable. SIGN PETITION - CLICK HERE. *Editor's Note: The daily work hours of the horses were not changed by Intro 35A, the carriage horse industry bill. The only new provisions for the horses were a minimum of five weeks vacation, age restrictions and slight modifications to stable size. The key point of this bill was giving the drivers a raise. UPDATE: I have been told that the investigation is ongoing and involves other agencies but there has not been a decision yet. Please - sign the petition if you have not already done so.

DECEMBER 4TH DEMO FOR THE CARRIAGE HORSES
Stand up for carriage horses in NYC
pity the poor horses Please join us on Saturday, December 4th to protest the existence of horse-drawn carriages in NYC and stand in solidarity with horse advocates around the world who are part of Horses Without Carriages International. Our focus will be on all the horses who disappear off the Department of Health rolls each year and most likely go to auction and then slaughter. We will mourn all the horses who have disappeared and died...and we will celebrate Bobby II Freedom, the NYC carriage horse we rescued from the slaughter auctions and is currently living at Equine Advocates Sanctuary.

  • When: Saturday, December 4, 2010
  • Time: 1:00 to 3:00 PM
  • Where: Central Park South and Fifth Avenue - north/west corner

APPALLING, SICKENING STATISTICS
where did all the carriage horses go??
horse slaughter pen We have been collecting and analyzing carriage horse statistics since 2005 through Freedom of Information requests to the NYC agencies that oversee the carriage industry. The number of carriage horses in the system fluctuates but is generally between 200 and 225. Considering that records are not pristine (witness the NYC Comptroller's Report of 2007 that indicated discrepancies in over 40% of the Health Certificates) - these numbers are most likely lower than the actual.

By analyzing the numbers I have determined about 1/3 of the horses on the Department of Health roles are not listed the next year. Most recently I totaled up all the horses that are no longer in the system from 2005 to the present and it is 315 horses. Yes, you read that correctly. 315! Now I am not saying that all of those horses went to slaughter. Homes were undoubtedly found for the favorites. We know that our Bobby was rescued out of a slaughter auction and is now at Equine Advocates. And King, owned by the same people who owned Bobby, also found a decent home because of the attention we brought to his fate. But there is no way that all of these horses found homes. It is just impossible.

It is important to note that our numbers represent a snap shot in time on any given date. There were many horses who came and went between the dates I received information of whom I am not aware. Chance, the horse who was rescued by Steve Nislick/NY-Class, falls in this category. I have no record of her hoof number because she was in and out of the industry in between the time of the reports that I received. So the number is likely higher than 315.

The existing law - Administrative Code -- � 17-329 Disposition of licensed horse allows horses to fall through the cracks. If a horse is sold or transferred outside NYC, as most are, records are not required to be submitted to the Department of Health. A simple notification that the horse is no longer in the industry is required -- no details. However, if the horse is sold within the city, which is less likely, records are required. This was obviously an industry influenced clause when the law was drafted many years ago. It is not illegal to bring a horse to auction and allow that horse to be purchased by kill buyers, but it is frowned upon by people who care for horses. It is best for the industry to keep this information behind closed doors.

CENTRAL PARK HAS SO MUCH MORE TO OFFER
than carriage rides ...
pale male movie Many people "get" that carriage horses do not belong in NYC. Unfortunately, our Mayor and Council Speaker Quinn are not among them. Please read this blog - Ten Things Not to Do in New York and pass on the message to anyone you know who may be planning a visit to our great city.

Tourists: While you are visiting NYC - visit the "hawk bench" not too far from the Boat House restaurant - off Fifth Avenue in the 70s. Pale Male is the famous red tail hawk who has captured the imagination of the global community. You will meet committed Pale Male birders who have a telescope fixed on the building where Pale Male and Lola have lived and you may just be able to see one of these majestic creatures. Now that is so much more fun than taking a carriage ride. Be sure to check out these exquisite photos by Lincoln Karim at this web site.

If you hurry, you can still see the Legend of Pale Male at the Angelica Theater. Click here.

PRO CARRIAGE HORSE BAN ARTICLE
West Side Spirit & Our Town in Manhattan (please see my note below)
weary horse Don't Let Your Romance Become His Nightmare - 11/23/2010 - by Brendon W. Furlong -- Thirty years ago, I took my then-girlfriend for a carriage ride around Central Park in New York City. It seemed like a traditional and romantic thing to do. Looking back, with the knowledge I now have about how these horses are abused on a daily basis, I realize that the "romantic" cover under which the horse carriage system operates shields a sobering reality. Horse-drawn carriages should be a thing of the past. In New York City, horses now have to deal with heavy automobile traffic, motorbikes, cyclists, roller-bladers, skateboarders, hordes of pedestrians and endless noise and confusion. The roads are hard and slippery. There are traffic lights, flashing lights and sirens. Simply put, this bombardment of his sensory system causes the horse extreme stress. Add to that the physical toil of pulling a heavy carriage around for up to nine hours a day, often without adequate rest, shade or shelter, and you must understand why this is asking too much of these beautiful animals.

When they've completed a day of hard labor, the horses are then returned to former tenement buildings converted into cramped stable space. Without the ability to move freely in such a confined area-an arrangement that causes significant physical strain-the end of the workday is hardly a respite from the pains accumulated during the day. In fact, the life expectancy of a horse is reduced by half once it reaches Manhattan to be used for this work. Then, once their usefulness is drained by the carriage owner, the horses are very often auctioned off to "kill-buyers," who then transport them to slaughterhouses where they are killed for meat. These harsh realities have been hidden in recent months by the passage of legislation in New York City, Intro 35, that provides these horses with five weeks of vacation. This has given advocates of the horse-carriage system ammunition to claim that the horses are in fact being taken care of, when in truth, this measure-while a step in the right direction-distracts from the fundamental issues of inhumane treatment that have still not been addressed. NOTE: This article is continued at the web site. I have tried and tried but cannot get the link to work through this Newsletter. This is a very good piece -- to reach the entire article - Google: Brendan Furlong Ourtown carriage horses

WHAT YOU CAN DO IF YOU SEE AN ACCIDENT
or anything questionable concerning carriage horses
Please take pictures of the incident. This should include a picture of the carriage, horse, driver and anything else that was involved. If possible, note the 4-digit engraved number on the left front hoof of the horse. Note the license plate number on the back of the carriage. If you do not have a camera, record descriptions. Note the exact location and time. This is very important.

Please contact us first. This is also very important. Depending on what it is, we can try to get media attention and contact the appropriate authorities and the City Council. Our e-mail is [email protected]. If you just contact the ASPCA, the complaint may disappear. WE want to rid NYC of the horse-drawn carriage trade in NYC, not enable them. Anything you can do to move that along will be much appreciated.

JOIN US ON FACE BOOK & SIGN ONLINE PETITION
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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

"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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