6-7/242- February 20, 2011
 
 

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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 - ** Valentine's Day demo ** horse eating off street ** Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio ** Please sign our petition ** Philadelphia ** AFS Conference **

VALENTINE'S DEMO
Have a heart for the horses
valentines day protest On Valentine's Day evening activists protested against the horse-drawn carriage trade at Central Park South and Grand Army Plaza. We had a very good turnout and handed out lots of flyers. Thanks to everyone who participated. We noted that business did not appear to be good. Many of the carriages were just waiting for passengers at the hack line.

At one point a car passed by and stopped by the horses - they held up two signs - one read "Stop Horse Abuse" with a line through "horse drawn carriages" The other read "Say no to carriage rides, save a life, stop horse abuse." We do not know who was in the car but if it was you, please let me know at [email protected]. You were much appreciated. (photo by Claudia Rose Emerson)

I WON'T ANSWER TO THIS GANG OF PEOPLE
says an ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officer to us
horse grain ground While we were protesting, an ASPCA officer stopped by and gave a ticket to a driver who was parked. We did not know what it was for. This is one of the few times we have actually seen an ASPCA presence while we have been at the hack line. Coincidence? I think not. We wondered if they were not there because our demonstration was widely publicized and we have been very vocal in our legitimate criticism.

The Officer came with a built-in hostile attitude to the crowd. I told him about one of the horses who was forced to eat his grain off the filthy ground and said that it was not sanitary. He did not believe me saying that the horse had a check rein and could not bend to the ground. I told him I had just taken pictures - see above. We must have all been talking at the same time, but he was very hostile and said that he was "not going to answer to this gang of people." He left. I reported this to the Department of Health, but have been ignored.

I asked Holly Cheever, DVM world renowned equine and small animal veterinarian to comment on this problem. This is what she said: "Throwing the food on the ground is terrible--the horse is eating dirt and trash and ice bits with the food and that is not pleasant nor very healthy for him/her--easy enough to carry a bucket for food in the driver's cab." Yes, those drivers sure do love their horses.

PUBLIC ADVOCATE BILL DEBLASIO BLOGS ON HUFFINGTON POST
about the carriage horse issue
car poster Humane Alternatives for Horse-Drawn Carriages was written by Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio and published in the Huffington Post blog on February 10, 2011. To date it has 317 comments. Please read them. They offer a better perspective into this issue and help you see just how entrenched the industry is. I use the name "Horse_Sense" but also added my own name when I first commented.

The picture shown is the poster from the passing car.

NEW CARRIAGE HORSE BLOG
by Donny Moss
horse eating on ice #1 Donny Moss, director of Blinders: the Truth Behind the Tradition has a new blog. Take a look, comment and sign up for e-mails. Click here.

This is yet another picture of a horse eating his grain off the ground. Why doesn't the ASPCA care enough to do something?

SAVE THE DATE FOR ANIMAL ISSUES CONFERENCE
June 25th and June 26th in Virginia
The Anti-Fur Society is planning a conference on June 25th and June 26th in Alexandria, Virginia. Please click here for more information. I have been invited to speak about the carriage horse issue. Please look at their web site for more information and other speakers.

Besides the two day conference, one of the highlights will be a four hour sunset cruise on the Potomac on Saturday night with a three course vegan dinner, dancing and speakers.

PHILADELPHIA CARRIAGE HORSE DEMO FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
gets notice in the press
Peace Advocates Protest Carriage Rides PHILADELPHIA - Demonstrators with the Peace Advocacy Network came to Old City over the weekend to protest horse-and-carriage rides. Members of PAN argue that the rides are not romantic for the horses. They say it's animal exploitation. "A bustling city like Philadelphia, there are stimuli everywhere - cars driving by, motorcycles zooming by, cabs honking, umbrellas opening. All of those things could scare a horse, so it's very unnerving for these horses to be on the city streets," one protestor said. Horse carriage operators maintain that their animals are properly cared for and they deny any claims of abuse.

Protesters don't love Valentine's horse-carriage rides February 14, 2011|By NAOMI JAGODA, To celebrate their wedding anniversary, South Jersey residents Hope and Steve Pastor yesterday took a horse-and-carriage ride at Independence Mall. "It's something romantic," Hope said. Some animal-rights activists would beg to differ. Timed to Valentine's Day, a group called Peace Advocacy Network organized a protest at the historic site yesterday, claiming that the rides harm the horses and therefore are anything but romantic. Holding signs and distributing flyers, a handful of protesters stood across the sidewalk from a line of carriages on 6th Street between Market and Chestnut.

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION - IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO
We have surpassed our goal of 2,500 signatures
The City Council has been non responsive to the issue of preventing the carriage horses from going to the slaughter auctions. They apparently do not care if the carriage horses die on the job or later at the slaughter house. They are our publicly financed legislators.

For those of you who have not signed this petition, this is a synopsis: THE PROBLEM: There are over 200 horses in the NYC carriage trade. The number varies but not by much. Approximately one third falls off the Department of Health registry every year. What does this mean? When an owner decides he wants to get rid of a horse, the existing NYC administrative code is very weak in regulating how this is done. It requires that sales or transfer records be submitted to the Department of Health but only if the transaction was made WITHIN NEW YORK CITY. While this would provide some information for where the horse ended up, it is ABSURD since most of the transactions are made outside the city. The horse auctions are in Pennsylvania and upstate New York.NO ACCOUNTABILITY: In the last five years, well over 300 NYC carriage horses have disappeared from the Department of Health rolls. I have analyzed and compared information I requested from this city agency through the Freedom of Information Law. Homes were undoubtedly found for some of the horses -- the favorites. But for the vast majority, it is presumed that they went on to auction where there are many kill buyers waiting to buy horse flesh for the ride to the slaughter facilities in Canada. After all, this is the easiest and most feasible thing for an owner to do -- and the most devastating for the horse. This must be controlled by statute. The carriage owners must be held accountable for each and every horse they "dispose of". It is not enough for them to say they find homes for all of their horses. Where is the proof? I defy them to show me the good homes for the over 300 horses I mention above. In June 2010, we found Bobby at the kill auction in Pennsylvania. He was from West Side Livery stables. The ID number was still on his left front hoof - a number that is easily sanded off. WE NEED TO DO THIS NOW: We do not expect the electric car bill to move any time soon. It has been almost one year since the City Council hearing on Intro 86 and although discussed at the hearing, there is still not one model car for the people in power to consider. In the meantime, we need to shame the NYC council for supporting one of the sources for horse slaughter -- the NYC carriage industry. They can at least do the right thing now and get this bill in the works while they wait to decided what to do about an overall ban.

LEGISLATIVE AIDE THREATENS LEGAL ACTION: Change.org is a progressive organization that deals with many social justice issues, including animals. They worked with us on this petition. The way the petition works is that every time someone signs it, a letter is e-mailed to all the Council Members' offices. One legislative aide from the office of Eric Ulrich of Queens sent an e-mail to Change.org, threatening to get their General Counsel to send a seize and desist letter that would be part of the public record.

This - coming from someone who gets his salary from tax payer dollars. My advice to him is get another job if he does not like to work within a democratic system. I sent several e-mails to the legislative aide asking him what his boss's position was on the carriage horse issue but they went unanswered. Ah, isn't democracy wonderful!

Please click HERE to sign the petition.

IF YOU SHOP ONLINE -- YOU CAN HELP THE HORSES
igive Through a free registration with iGive, when you buy merchandise on line, your purchase will help us. There are over 700 stores that include such popular ones as Amazon.com, Staples, Best Buy and Barnes & Nobles. Even Cafe Press is available if you purchase some of our merchandise. Click here to get started.

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.