Horses Without Carriages International www.horseswithoutcarriages.org

Contact Mayor deBlasio - tell him that you want a ban of horse-drawn carriages this year. If he delays it for three years or if there is another accident, it will hurt him politically. Tell him that you voted for him because he promised to ban the trade - and even on the first day he took office, which we knew was an impossibility. So far, nothing has been done. Click Here. Please be respectful.

We decided to go back to our original ads depicting what happens to carriage horses in NYC. This ad ran this past Thursday. Two will run next week. PLEASE DONATE and help us continue these ads.

"This poll is the only one I've seen in the past five years that shows that New Yorkers support carriages," Avella said. "Every other poll I've seen shows the reverse, so I don't really trust it." Avella referred to a recent survey conducted by Crain's New York Business division that showed overwhelming support for legislation that would ban the century-old horse carriage industry. The poll was posted to Crain's website March 11, and by March 25 more than 37,000 people had already voted, with 76 percent saying they believe de Blasio is right to try to dismantle the industry. "I'm just concerned that the industry is going all out to try and make it seem like they have all this support when they really don't," Avella said. "We would like to sit down and have a real discussion with the owners because nobody wants the workers to lose their jobs." One alternative that has been suggested by de Blasio and other officials pushing for the ban is to replace horse carriages with electric cars, but Avella said he does not see that as a realistic solution because of the cost involved. He said a more plausible alternative is to replace horses with battery-powered cars that cost around $23,000 each. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani also joined the discussion after speaking out against de Blasio's proposed ban during a television interview on "Good Day New York" earlier this week.

For the last seven months - since before the primary in September, there has been an onslaught of media propaganda presenting the carriage trade issue as something that it is not -- humane, safe, people who love their horses like family; real estate land grab; iconic, law abiding, no accidents, no cruelty, etc. They have manipulated information and presented lies masquerading as facts. They have slanted their stories to favor the industry and, as with the Post and News, their editorial opinions have influenced their "fact based" reporting.

Please read my blog HAVE YOU BEEN BRAINWASHED BY THE MEDIA in the case of NYC's carriage horse trade? You will not read this kind of analysis anyplace else.

Unfortunately, however, little attention has been paid to the real accidents waiting to happen. A few years ago, a horse stationed at Dublin's St Stephen's Green bolted after becoming spooked. In the horse's panic, the carriage struck a car. Not only did the accident put the horse, the carriage driver, the motorist and bystanders at risk of serious injury, it also caused 1,500 pounds worth of damage. "There is an obvious potential danger with these things being in an area where there is such a high number of pedestrians", said Fianna F�il and former Teachta D�la Noel Ahern in response to the incident. "I don't want it to take a serious accident before something is done. Obviously the damage could involve more than a car. A horse could bolt down Grafton Street and cause serious injury." Horses are forced to toil in all weather extremes and dodge heavy traffic. Pounding the pavement day in and day out takes a considerable toll on horses' legs, hooves, backs and lungs. They suffer from respiratory ailments because they breathe in exhaust fumes. Horses are extremely sensitive to loud noises and unexpected sounds - and busy city streets have plenty of both. Wherever there are carriage rides, there will be accidents. In September 2013, in New York City, a frightened horse collided with parked cars and flipped the carriage on top of himself, becoming pinned under the wreckage. He survived but limped away, bleeding, with a leg wound. In July 2012, in Casper, Wyoming, a carriage and horses were thrown into the air after being rear-ended by an SUV. In July 2011, in New York City, three tourists and a carriage driver were hurt when a taxi rear-ended a horse-drawn carriage near Central Park. One passenger was thrown to the sidewalk, and the driver sustained a serious head injury. The horse was knocked to the ground, and the carriage fell on top of him. In 2008, in Rome, a 17-year-old horse named Birillo fell and broke his leg on a cobbled street after being grazed by a lorry. He writhed on the ground in agony for four hours before a veterinarian finally arrived to euthanise him. Another horse died after being struck by a vehicle. In response to similar accidents, many cities, including London, Paris, Toronto, Beijing, Las Vegas and Key West, Fla., have banned horse-drawn carriage rides. They have made the simple and ethical choice to retire their beleaguered horses and relegate the carriages to the history books, where they belong.

Bobby II Freedom's story was published in the NY Times. NY - 7/5/2010 - For a Former Carriage Horse, a Grassy Sanctuary