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 FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES **
Save the date for our fund raiser ** two demos ** horses and hot weather ** our ongoing ad campaign ** NYC Mayoral race ** NYS Avella/Rosenthal bill - take action
HOLD THE DATES
2 demos & 1 fund raiser party
Please hold the date. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages will hold a fund raising party on Monday evening, September 9th - the night before the primaries. It will also serve as a "get out the vote" event. More details to follow.
We have two educational demos coming up. Please join the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and speak out for the horses as we educate tourists about this inhumane and dangerous business:
- WHEN: Saturday July 13th - 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
- WHEN: Saturday July 27th - 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
- WHERE: north/west corner of Central Park South & Fifth Avenue - at the hack line.
CARRIAGE HORSES AND HEAT
horses often suffer in the hot weather
These are two truths about carriage horses:
- Summers in New York City are generally very hot and humid - uncomfortable for people and very uncomfortable for horses.
- Most city regulations concerning carriages horses were developed by the local trade in that city. So it is no surprise that the temperature regulations would be as high as possible and still allow the city and drivers to keep a straight face. They want to squeeze the most from the horses to make the most money they can. After all, it is a business. But things are changing and pressure is being brought on these businesses and the municipalities that allow this kind of abuse. There are active campaigns in many cities.
Working Animal Advocates from Sacramento researched temperature regulations in different cities. Very interesting and shocking. This is the link. Look at the temperatures in some of the southern cities - all of which are very humid in the summer -- Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis, Charleston. Although this needs to be verified, I do not believe any of the regulations take humidity into account. New York City does not.
These are two very interesting articles about horses, heat and humidity. Too Hot to Trot by Jenifer Nadeau of the Department of Animal Sciences - University of Connecticut. This is an excerpt from the article "Normally, the horse cools itself by sweating. Heat is lost and the body cools as sweat evaporates from the skin's surface. Less moisture evaporates in times of high humidity, however, and this causes the cooling mechanism to become less efficient. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures results in dilation of surface blood vessels. When dilation occurs without an increase in blood volume, circulatory collapse may also occur. The cooling mechanism of the horse is most effective when the sum of the ambient (outside) temperature and relative humidity is less than 130. Efficiency of cooling decreases between 130 and 150. When the sum of the ambient temperature and relative humidity is greater than 150, the horse's ability to cool itself is greatly reduced. When the sum is greater than 180, horse owners need to be cautious, since these conditions could be fatal if the horse is stressed. Some horses are anhydrotic, meaning they have little or no ability to produce sweat. These horses are prime candidates for heat stress."
Apologists for the carriage trade will say things like - "I can work outside when the temperature is 95 and I am fine" or "they are work horses, they can take it." They would be very wrong. This article When the Rider is Hot, the Horse is Hotter addresses how hot horses do get in the steamy, hot weather.
YOU CAN HELP - NYC CARRIAGE HORSES & THE HEAT
Please get involved
The law requires that only the ASPCA Humane Law Officers can take the ambient temperature at the hack line using a special thermometer. When it reads 90 degrees, the officer will suspend the hack line and order the drivers to take their horses back to the stable. Humidity is unfortunately not a factor. If a driver begins a ride with a customer, he is allowed to finish it.
There is no provision in the law dictating how a suspension is lifted so the drivers tune into other sources for their information and as soon as one of them reads 89.9 degrees, they are off and running back to the hack line. We have seen this happen many times.
- WHAT YOU CAN DO: if you see a horse-carriage out when it is over 90 degrees, report it to the ASPCA. Get the license plate number on the rear of the carriage and the location and time -- all are important.
- ASPCA Humane Law - 212-876-7700 - x 4450.
- Let us know at coalition@banhdc.org
- Take pictures as proof.
OUR ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN CONTINUES THANKS TO YOU
Ban horse-drawn carriages
Our advertising campaign continues. We did not place any ads this past week because it was a holiday week and we expected many people would be on vacation. Next week, we are advertising in Metro on Wednesday, July 10th.
A heartfelt THANKS to all of you who have already donated to this cause to support our advertising campaign. It is so appreciated. We plan to add a new ad soon and depending on our funds will hopefully continue through the fall. Please be part of history! If you would like to contribute and help us to get the message out in more papers, please send us a donation via this link. Click here. Donations by PayPal or check are welcome. Depending on the size, the number of times an ad is run, and the newspaper, the cost has ranged from $350 to $700 per ad. We are all volunteer so every dollar donated goes back into the organization.
SUGGESTION: If you still want to be part of this historical advertising campaign, we welcome your donations. -HOWEVER - please consider instead (or in addition to) a donation to the mayoral campaign of Bill deBlasio. If you send a donation - check or credit card - please let them know it is because of his stand on shutting down the inhumane and unsafe carriage horse trade. This is a link to his web site. Click Here.
WHAT'S NEW IN THE NYC MAYORAL RACE?
please volunteer for Bill DeBlasio
Every week, we address the most important media coverage in the NYC mayoral race. To see past newsletters, please check out our archives - click here.
We are going to do it a little differently now because sometimes it is hard deciding which articles to link on this page. We strongly suggest you go
on Facebook and "like" the page Defeat Christine Quinn. You will get the most up to date information. However, this week, make sure to check out this article in the NY Daily News: City Council Speaker Christine Quinn awards hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit groups that have helped her mayoral campaign
- It is very clear to us who the best person for the job is and we support BILL DEBLASIO.
- Please volunteer for his campaign by contacting his campaign office
We like Bill. He is smart, compassionate and cares about people and animals. How unusual.
- Bill understands the issue with the carriage horse trade. He knows that the "electric cars" are too expensive and will not happen - that they will drag on a resolution to this problem for many more years. He has promised to shut down the business and essentially release the horses from bondage.
BILL TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYS LEGISLATURE
Please make calls - Bill Numbers: S667 and A997 + Sign the petition
The only bill to support in the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC is the Avella/Rosenthal bill in the State Legislature. It is a pure ban. There are no strings attached. This is a link to a petition we have on change. org. Please sign it if you have not done so already.
You can read the legislation by clicking on the bill numbers, S667 and A997 . Text in CAPS is new. Text with a strike through is deleted.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
to support S667 and A997 - The horses need your help!
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make calls and write e-mails to state legislators. If you have not yet done this, please do it now. It does not have to be done at one time. The horses need your help.
All of the information we previously published on our newsletter is now on our web site under What You Can Do. Please read it and take action.
PLEASE JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Blog & Flickr
HELP OUR ORGANIZATION BY SHOPPING ON LINE
Also check out Cafe Press to purchase CBHDC merchandise
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 & Noble. Even Cafe Press is available if you purchase some of our merchandise. Click here to get started.
On iGive - the name of our organization is "The Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc." We also have three stores on Cafe Press with great t-shirts, bags, hats, mugs, mouse pads, etc. Purchasing this merchandise helps our organization. Click here.
"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.
