6-33/267 August 14, 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 & ASSOCIATES ** video removed ** Facebook page removed ** NY Times letters ** Frommer's against carriage business ** Doris Lin's rebuttal to NY Times ** Sign our petition ** two special requests **

SOCIAL MEDIA TAKES A HIT
YouTube and Facebook -- Bad and Good
social media BAD: the viral video that we included in our newsletter last week about the horse who spooked and fell during a carriage ride has been removed from YouTube. An anonymous Privacy Infringement complaint was made to YouTube and although Theresa Shaver, the owner of the video, responded, it was ignored. She does not know who the complainant was but if a privacy complaint was made, it is possible it was from the carriage industry. Interesting that they call themselves "iconic" but believe they also have expectations of privacy. Hmmm. More to come on this.

GOOD: A Facebook page tied into the carriage industry called "Carriage Horse Facts" has been removed from Facebook. Why? We do not know but it might be because for the last several weeks they have been putting out articles and posts about animal rights people and organizations being terrorists. Their recent post, just before they went down, read: If any of you have any doubt about NYCLASS's affiliation with a known terrorist group, here it is, straight from the horse's mouth: Stopping NYC Horse Abuse: Hi Heather - we do partner with PETA. In fact, they made us a wonderful PSA with the lovely Lea Michele of Glee.

Really? PETA a "known terrorist group?" No one has the right to make such irresponsible and libelous statements. I think PETA might have gotten them shut down. Good!! By calling animal rights people and organizations terrorists, just because you do not agree with them or because they are trying to shut down your inhumane business, denigrates the real issue of terrorism -- you know - what happened on September 11th at the World Trade Center when thousands of people lost their lives. Of course, it does not help that some irresponsible politicians throw the word around without thought.

FROMMER'S NYC GUIDE 2011
carriage rides - things not to do in NYC
frommers 3 For the last several years, the Frommer's travel guide to NYC has listed carriage horse rides as "things not to do in NYC." Tourists are asked to "pity those poor beasts of burden, who appear so forlorn as if pulling carriages is the last thing they want to do. " The guide instead suggests pedicab rides for a "slow leisurely ride through Central Park."

They go on to say that "Horses belong on city streets as much as chamber pots belong in our homes."

NEW YORK TIMES NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE
published only four letters - very "balanced"
The New York Times' reputation over the years has been diminished. Although it still has much influence, it did not go unscathed when it admitted to journalism fraud by one of its reporters in 2003; or in 2004, a far more serious charge, when they admitted that its flawed reporting during the build-up of the war in Iraq helped to foster the belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. When Bush debated Kerry for the 2004 presidential election, he was photographed with a box-like form under the back of his jacket, which was assumed to be an electronic device feeding him answers. The Blogs picked it up immediately. It took the NY Times two full weeks to catch on.

Nevertheless, it hurts when the NY Times takes an opposing position to an issue in which we are involved - i.e., the NYC carriage horses - and does it so badly. I am certain that they received far more letters in opposition to their editorial than those in favor. Yet, they chose to publish only four letters - -two in opposition and two in favor. In keeping with their elitist position, they selected one from the ASPCA and one from the carriage industry. The other two were from seemingly average people in other parts of the country. The average New Yorker did not have a say.

pity the poor horses Many of us are often critical of the ASPCA on many fronts because they never seem to do enough or be on the right side of the issue -- and we believe they have enabled the carriage industry. After all, where were they all these years -- why didn't they speak out about this inhumane business? Before we started the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages in 2006, they ignored pleas to suspend the horses during a snow storm - but they do now because many people pressure them. Why did it take a small all-volunteer group (us) to bring this issue to the forefront? They are Goliath to our David. See Donny Moss' video on YouTube - ASPCA Fails NYC Carriage Horses. Nevertheless, this is a very strong letter in the Times and the force of their name is behind it. It's really too bad their arguments are in print only. They also did not use the word "ban" once. Hmmmm. This is a link to all of the letters. Click Here.

Re "Some Carriages Should Not Be Horseless" (editorial, Aug. 5): Your support of the carriage horse industry in New York is based on assertions that the "horses are well treated and monitored closely by the city." The opposite is true. The city has largely abdicated its responsibility to enforce laws governing the carriage horse industry, so the A.S.P.C.A. has stepped up on behalf of the horses. The A.S.P.C.A. finances its enforcement of the cruelty laws using donated money and no government financing. But the A.S.P.C.A. can enforce the laws only as written, which does not mean that the horses are "well treated." The typical carriage horse works long hours, while breathing exhaust, for a few years before it may be auctioned off for slaughter. When the horses aren't working, they remain confined in inadequate stalls in New York City; they are often fed substandard food, and many are permanently scarred from wearing their halters too long. Even when the owners do properly care for their horses, the horses and the public face danger. Every day, concerned New Yorkers contact the A.S.P.C.A. to express their fears of an impending tragedy arising from the carriage horses being in congested traffic. ED SAYRES President and Chief Exec., A.S.P.C.A. New York, Aug. 7, 2011

SUPPORT THE BILL TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYC
It is up to us to move this forward! - Please sign petition
open sore The NYS State Legislature is on summer break now, but you can still contact your representatives about this bill. NYS Senator Tony Avella and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal have introduced a bill in the state Senate to ban the horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC. Please read this article by Stephanie Feldstein at Change.org and then sign the petition, which is linked and will generate letters to state legislators. Anyone can sign the petition. You do not have to live in New York State. People from other states are encouraged to sign. Unfortunately, you cannot sign this petition if you live in another country. See below for our new petition.

HAS YOUR LEGISLATOR RESPONDED TO YOU? If so, please send me a copy of the correspondence - to [email protected]. Please sign the petition if you have not already -- forward to friends. Let's shoot for 4,000 signatures. (art work by Raven and Crow)

OTHER COUNTRIES ONLY
please sign the special petition just for you
nose to tailpipe Since the original petition (above) does not allow people who live in other countries to sign, we have made a special petition to address this issue. Please sign by clicking here. The petition is addressed to Senator Avella and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal. This will be valuable ammunition for them when they come back to the legislature in January.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
to get the message out
facebook logo If you have not already signed it, please sign either petition mentioned above for the bill that is currently in the NYS state legislature.

But here is another suggestion. Friend your Council Member, State Senator and State Assembly member on Facebook. Find out who they are through these web sites:

Leave a polite message for them on their wall. They or an aide will see it.

ALL CARRIAGES SHOULD BE HORSELESS
a rebuttal by Doris Lin, About.com 8/8/11
All Carriages Should be Horseless - An August 4, 2011 editorial by the About.com mothership, the New York Times, titled, "Some Carriages Should Not Be Horseless" supports the carriage horse industry and totally misses the mark on the animal rights and animal welfare arguments against horses pulling carriages. Regardless of how many accidents there are, how hot or cold the weather is, or how much rest the horses get, forcing a horse to pull a carriage infringes on that animal's right to be free of human oppression.

The editorial instead focused on the conditions under which the horses are forced to work, arguing, "The horses are well treated and monitored closely by the city." Even if one believes it's OK for horses to work under "humane" conditions, the fact is that horses often work when the law says it is too hot or too cold for them to work. Continued.

TWO SPECIAL REQUESTS
  • 1. I am looking for someone to do Internet research for our organization. It is a small project but I could use help. You must be familiar with New York City. If you are interested, please e-mail me at [email protected]
  • 2. If you received the recent e-mail from Speaker Christine Quinn about the NYC animal shelter system, please e-mail me at [email protected]
THANK YOU!

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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.