7- 82/41 November 3, 2013
 
 

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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 FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ** historical election on Tuesday **

NEW YORKERS: VOTE FOR BILL DEBLASIO ON TUESDAY
Let's Make History!
Please vote on Tuesday, November 5th. It will be an historical election regardless of who wins since both candidates have pledged to ban the horse-drawn carriage trade. DeBlasio is leading Lhota by almost 40 points in the polls. However, please do not think it is a done deal. VOTE! Fingers and hooves crossed!

If you want to help the deBlasio campaign get out the vote, please contact them through their web site. Note: picture is of Sept. 26, 2013 accident in Columbus Circle.

Read deBlasio's A Humane City for New York's Animals I do not know how deBlasio expects to ban the trade immediately -- which needs to happen -- when he is still talking about electric car replacements that do not even exist and that the drivers do not want. We will see how it develops.

DAILY NEWS IS PULLING OUT ALL STOPS TO HURT THIS CAMPAIGN
they hate deBlasio; and love the "idyllic" carriage rides
This past week, the NY Daily News went quite ballistic, trying to throw a monkey wrench into the ban horse-drawn carriage campaign. They ran negative articles, a crazy editorial and an interview with Mayor Bloomberg - using fear mongering and scare tactics. They wanted YOU to believe that if there is a ban of the carriage trade, all the horses will go to slaughter. News flash - if they do, it will be the drivers who lead them there because there are plenty of homes available if the drivers would just stop having temper tantrums.

By the end of the week, a very well thought out and well researched article by Vickery Eckoff was published in Forbes, countering the lies. In addition, Kathy Stevens, founder of Catskill Animal Sanctuary weighed in with her blog on Huffington Post. At first the Daily News was only printing pro carriage horse trade letters but finally relented and printed a few anti carriage trade letters. Russell Simmons also blogged on Huffington Post, countering the charge made by the NY Times that simply because we care about animals and support a ban of the horse-drawn carriages, we are zealots.

These are some of the links:

NEWSFLASH - after beating up on deBlasio through months of their endorsement of Christine Quinn and also most recently, the schizophrenic Daily News has endorsed deBlasio. NOTE: this cartoon was published in the Daily News - their idea of fun.

THE TIDE TURNS
finally some intelligent articles
Mr. Simmons' blog was very welcome to this cause because he truly does want a ban of horse-drawn carriages. He knows this inhumane and unsafe business must be shut down. But his knowledge of the recent history of the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages is lacking. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages started this historic campaign in 2006 and in 2007 then Council Member Tony Avella introduced a bill in the Council to ban horse-drawn carriages. First ever! We have always known that a ban on horse-drawn carriages must be pure and not related to the success of a private industry. What is difficult to understand is Mr. Simmons insistence on the electric vintage cars as a replacement for the horses. We do not need a replacement industry. A prototype does not even exist and the money to provide 68 cars is very high. Let's shut down the carriage business first - no strings attached. I wrote a very long response to him but these are the important points:
  1. Mr. deBlasio has said he will ban horse-drawn carriages early in his term as mayor. Let's hold him to that.
  2. A ban of the horse-drawn carriages must NEVER be dependent on the success of an independent, expensive and risky vanity industry. One has nothing to do with the other. This is important to understand. These cars will not magically appear one day to replace the horses.
  3. If this concept is accepted and not challenged then a ban will never happen.
  4. The drivers do not want to drive the vintage cars. They have no interest anyway.
  5. It is NOT NECESSARY to provide an alternative business for the drivers. No other group of people has been catered to like this - i.e., those who lost their jobs due to redevelopment and gentrification of neighborhoods; City workers who have been laid off; others who have lost jobs. All of these people should be furious about a "special industry" being considered for the carriage drivers. They are a tiny business and are no more special than anyone else.
  6. Let's stop providing entitlements to them. Let's stop allowing them to hold the City hostage.

Vickery Eckoff from Forbes says in a blog comment: The horses that go to slaughter in the carriage industry are horses that no longer make money. Bloomberg and the carriage drivers have never objected to this-and 70 horses or so disappear into kill pens every year. But if the industry shuts down, the horses in question will all be sound money makers. These horses, as the article states, have economic value to their owners and sanctuaries have stepped forward to adopt those that may need homes. So the industry shutting down will not send horses to slaughter-but keeping it going surely will.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR IN THE DAILY NEWS
a sampling of letters including from ASPCA's new president
rain horse These are a sampling of anti carriage letters.
  • They adopt horses, don't they? Manhattan: Fear-mongering and emotional blackmail are despicable tactics that serve no good purpose ("'Saved' horses face death," Oct. 29). Reporter Mara Gay presented a contrived scenario where carriage horses would go to slaughter if a ban is enacted. In fact, 71 horses a year turn over in the carriage trade - their whereabouts unknown. Were they slaughtered? Possibly. If the horses end up at the slaughter auctions, it will be the drivers who take them. This unsafe and inhumane business needs to be relegated to the dust bin of history. There are many sanctuaries and homes that will take the horses. But Steve Malone of the Horse and Carriage Association of New York is quoted as saying, "I wouldn't sell my horses to them. . . . (Bill de Blasio) wants to seize our horses from us and take them to a sanctuary. Not gonna happen." Let's hope people see through the hysteria. Elizabeth Forel, Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages
  • Disposable animals? Bronx: The real news is that carriage drivers are threatening to send their horses to slaughter rather than allow them to be adopted by sanctuaries or individuals. It reveals their true view of these animals as disposable. All the more reason to ban this cruel trade and require that the horses receive humane retirements. Jill Weitz
  • Hack line sadness Little Falls, N.J.: As someone who has been observing the horses on the hack line since the 1970s, it is no secret that many are depressed, ill or both. The high rate of turnover (529 horses in seven-and-a-half years) attests to the fact that many are not well. In the 1980s, horses fell and died in the streets of heat prostration, a particularly horrendous way to die. Even now, the horses are allowed out in 90-degree weather with no adjustment for humidity. It is simply not true that these horses would be killed if they were retired. These horses are "stars" - with many offers for homes from people all over the city and even outside of the country. The only way one could go to slaughter would be if the horse's owner - driver or otherwise - sold it to an auction or other facility where kill buyers could get their hands on it. Christine MacMurray
  • Homes for horses Flushing: I am writing to express my sincere outrage that the Daily News did not include the fact that there are caring adopters from horse farms and horse-rescue organizations that are fully ready to take in the carriage horses. Ever since a ban was spoken of, the welfare of the horses has always been an immediate concern. Laura Fleischer

from today's Daily News: ASPCA president speaks out: A fatuous defense Manhattan: Your primary defense of horse-drawn carriages imagines certain slaughter for these horses if they were liberated ("'Saved' horses face death," Oct. 29). Based on what? In addition to speculation and self-serving comments from carriage owners, you quote two equine scholars from the same institution. Hardly a consensus. The truth is there are facilities and people willing and able to open their hearts and homes to these animals. The ASPCA has been advocating for the welfare of these horses since our founding in 1866. We would gladly get involved - including tapping into our network of rescue partners and resources - to help with any potential transition. The use of carriage horses in 21st century New York City is unnatural, unnecessary and an undeniable strain on their quality of life. Is it any wonder both mayoral candidates - and so many New Yorkers - are calling for an end? Matt Bershadker President and CEO, ASPCA NOTE: photo of drenched horse by Mary Culpepper

NEXT DEMO - SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16, 2013
Save the date
Please join the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and activists as we educate tourists not to take the inhumane carriage rides.
  • WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 16 - 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
  • WHERE: north/west corner - Central Park South and Fifth Ave. at the hack line

BAN CARRIAGE HORSE AD T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE
roberto's shirt We are now offering great looking t-shirts based on our successful ad campaign - Carriage Horses Suffer - thanks to Roberto, the Nomadic Cat -for the Ts and Jane Denny - for the original art work. Click here.

BLINDERS: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE TRADITION
for sale or rent on Amazon
Blinders: The Truth Behind the Tradition is an award winning documentary produced in 2008 by film maker Donny Moss about the NYC horse-drawn carriage trade. Click here to either buy or rent. You may read reviews here.

Donny Moss recently said "Each of the major papers in NYC supports the continuation of horse-drawn carriages in NYC, and each will be on the wrong side of history. When people look back 50 years from now at the images of dead and injured horses lying in the streets, they are going to ask, 'What were they thinking, forcing horses to pull carriages in midtown Manhattan?"

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
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 & 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.

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.