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8-31 September 7, 2014
 
 

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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 - In this issue: ** - Exposed - new article in One Green Planet ** two new blogs - about stables and Fashion Week ** Call the City Council ** article by Susan Wagner/President Equine Advocates **

NOTE: the best way to receive this newsletter is to subscribe directly. Although I post it on other lists, sometimes (for reasons unknown) they do not approve it - so you are subject to their whims. PLEASE CLICK HERE to subscribe directly. If you want to see past newsletters - CLICK HERE for our archive.

EXPOSED: NYC HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES
excellent article by Kate Good in One Green Planet
EXPOSED: NYC Horse-Drawn Carriages - the Worst Tourist Attraction in the Greatest City - by Kate Good - 9/5/14 -- Strolling through Central Park, you are sure to see many animals you wouldn't typically spot amongst the concrete high-rises of New York City. There might be a goose, or ducklings, or a horse. Yes, you are sure to spot a horse in Central Park, if not a two or three more. Of course, unlike the geese and ducklings, these horses aren't found naturally roaming through the green, but attached to a cart, parked obediently around the edges of the park. For those who have never witnessed these majestic horses, let me introduce them == these are New York City's Carriage Horses! The chance to ride in a horse-drawn carriage is a fantastical dream that almost every Disney-loving child grew up with. After all, nothing says romance like a carriage ride, especially when the ride takes you through the iconic twinkling lights of New York. Or at least, from the perspective of the bundled up passengers of the carriage. From the perspective of the horse == things aren't quite so dreamy. Although Mayor Bill DeBlasio has promised to phase out horse-drawn carriages from New York, replacing live horses with electric cars, little progress has been made since he moved into Gracie Mansion. DeBlasio's inaction has animal rights activists and compassionate New Yorkers (yes, there is such a thing) alike up in arms. Horses don't belong in the city, and there really is nothing pretty about their treatment. So, in an effort to reveal the nightmare that this practice truly is, let's take a look at NYC's horse-drawn carriages.

1. Where Do NYC Carriage Horses Come From? Clearly, New York is not exactly the kind of place where you would expect to find horses running unbridled and free, but the 200 odd horses currently serving as carriage horses had to come from somewhere. According to Elizabeth Forel, president and co-founder of Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, "The Department of Health registers the carriage horses but they do not ask where the horses comes from -- We believe that the many of the horses come from the Amish farms - or from trotter race tracks."

These horses are referred to as "breakdowns" from these industries. Standardbred horses are trained to perform on harness racing tracks by being tethered to the back of a truck that accelerates to teach the horse to run faster. Carriage horse owners consider these horses "street savvy" after enduring this process at the tracks. According to horse veterinarian, Holly Cheever, "many horses enter the carriage horse trade with a legacy of injuries."

Forel tells OGP that horses are only allowed by law to be worked up to "the age of 26," however, it should be noted that draft horses have an average life expectancy of 25. The majority of carriage horses are draft breeds. PLEASE READ THE REST. and click on the links.

FASHION WEEK IN NYC: SOME OF US CARE; SOME OF US COULD NOT CARE LESS
what went on behind the scenes - trash talk by trolls
One of my new blogs - Fashion Week in NYC. Some of us care. Some of us could not care less. what went on behind the scenes 9/4/14 -- [go to article for links] On Wednesday night, September 2nd, we joined other activists in protesting desperate fashion designer Victor deSouza who paraded his models in horse-drawn carriages.

two things that happened last night that shed light on the kinds of people in and associated with the carriage trade -- those who exploit horses and do not recognize the wrong they do. As the seven horse-drawn carriages waited within Central Park for the models to make their entrance, Edita Birnkrant, head of the NYC office of Friends of Animals, reached over to pet the horse hooked to the carriage of a well known driver, whose wife is the VP of the Carriage Horse Association. She noticed him shaking his head and wanted to soothe him. He said to her "Don't you dare touch my horse. That's my PROPERTY. Get your hands off MY PROPERTY." "Property" I say? I thought this was a sentient being - a horse. Yes I know that horses are legally property but we were not in a court room. We were in Central Park. And aren't these the same people who got the Daily News to report on how much they "love" their horses and that they are part of their family? These horses are just like a TV or computer. When they get old, they are discarded too. This just shows what we knew all along. They objectify their animals. They are "property." They can be sold just like a car; they can be sent to an auction and picked up by a kill buyer with no tears lost because "it" is only property.

YOU BELONG IN A NURSING HOME: The second incident of note ... One of our very favorite and most dependable activists is Natasha Brenner. She, along with her late husband Noah, had been regulars on the activist front - coming to and actively supporting the ban carriage horse trade activism, the Defeat Christine Quinn campaign - among others. Natasha will soon be 93 years old and is an inspiration. Although she walks with a cane, she has more energy and spirit than many people half her age. She is always willing to "go." She is simply one of the "guys." She was recently interviewed on TV during our Gracie Mansion demo. Click here. We do not know the woman in red pictured below. She is involved with the carriage trade and often shows up at City Hall with them. Last night she looked at the crowd and saw Natasha and said "Look at her - who let her out of the nursing home?" Someone told Natasha who wanted to know who said it. She immediately went over to the woman and said "I'm not in a nursing home" to which the woman replied "well you should be." Don't think this cruel woman got away with saying that. Several of us took her to task. CONTINUED - CLICK HERE

IF ONLY THE MAYOR WOULD VISIT THE CARRIAGE STABLES ...
new blog about the inadequate stalls and stables
IF ONLY THE MAYOR WOULD VISIT THE STABLES September 3, 2014 - He would find religion and dub the horse carriage trade in NYC hands off and good to go. So says the carriage trade. In trying to keep the status quo, they have lied and lied with the Daily News supporting and elaborating on their fantasies.

We have previously addressed the reasons why the Daily News has gone after the Mayor on this issue - and it is not their love of horses, the drivers or the industry. Click here. [go to article] In March 2014, the NYC carriage trade organized an event at their stables, which included actor Liam Neeson. A few Council Members attended. None of them knew what to look for and just went because they supported the industry anyway. It is quite embarrassing to listen to a particular Council Member or member of the media say - "the horses look fine - they do not look abused" when that person doesn't have a clue what to look for in the stable or with the horse. Liam Neeson in his "refined" way said this about the Mayor: "He should have manned up and come.[to the stable] I'm disappointed he's not here." Excuse me - "manned up?" What a disrespectful thing to say to our mayor. And it is clear that Neeson was about ready to take to the streets and arm wrestle Mayor deBlasio to show he is a macho man. He wanted to bully him into going to the stables but it did not work. Yes - if only the mayor would visit the stables because this is what he could find - and it's not pretty!: PLEASE CONTINUE WITH THIS BLOG - you will see the accurate and researched comparison between the NYC stables and what they should be. (this is a pic taken at West Side Livery at their Clip Clop event notice the small stall size; inadequate bedding; horse with harness rubs.)

THIS IS OUR AD IN CITY & STATE
Please help us continue our advertising.
Our new ad campaign can be seen in City & State, a publication that reaches government officials -- decision makers who are responsible for public safety. What the media has lost sight of in their quest to bring down Mayor deBlasio, is that the very nature of the horse makes this majestic animal unsuitable to work on the crowded streets of NYC. They are serious accidents waiting to happen. Although gentle by nature, at 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, they can become uncontrollable, unwitting weapons when spooked. As prey animals, their nature is to respond to upsetting stimuli in a flight or fight manner. Horses are predictably unpredictable and there is no such thing as a "bomb proof" horse. Unfamiliar sudden movements or loud noises will often trigger an innate anxiety in a horse, which may lead to panic and fear. Generally in the city, as with what recently happened with Pumpkin, (the horse who spooked a bolted on Central Park South) a horse will bolt into traffic, not caring where he is going or who is in his way. He wants desperately to distance himself from the source of danger. The horse is terrified for his life. Many of the NYC horse spooking accidents have come close to leaving dead people in their wake. There have been serious human injuries, including a few carriage drivers who were hospitalized in a coma. ''Spooking' can happen to even the best-trained and well-mannered horse... there is no such thing as an unspookable horse, nor can the average driver control it once it bolts.'' said horse expert and equine veterinarian, Holly Cheever D.V.M.

A few years ago, a carriage driver was trying to make an illegal u-turn with his horse, Oreo, on Central Park South. Oreo spooked when he encountered a big truck rumbling up the avenue. He bolted into traffic, lost his driver and ran up on the sidewalk - narrowly missing pedestrians. He continued to run down the street to 11th Avenue. That - as with Pumpkin, a recent accident - was a close call. When an out of control powerful horse comes running at you, he is not saying "excuse me, excuse me, sir, coming through." No - he is frantic and just wants to hot tail it away from the source of fear. He will trample you if you are in his way. For city officials to continue to allow this to happen is a huge mistake and very irresponsible.

In 2010, in Salzburg, Austria, a French tourist was knocked down and trampled by a runaway carriage horse who spooked and bolted. She died from her injuries. In 2007, there were two incidents each involving 5-year old girls and carriage horses that ended badly. In Tucson, little Brielle was sitting on a horse in a parade when several carriage horses behind her spooked. She was knocked from her horse and trampled to death. Later that year in St. Petersburg, Russia, another young girl fell from a carriage and was killed when the horse spooked and bolted. Here are a few other noteworthy accidents:

  • In 2012, in the UK , a Swiss tourist fell from a carriage after the horse spooked and bolted, and died from her injuries.
  • Iowa - In 2010, horses spooked in a parade and ran into the crowd, trampling and injuring 24 people - some seriously and killing a woman passenger who was thrown from the buggy.
  • PETA'S list of accidents around the world.
  • Animal Aid, a UK animal rights group that has been working on this issue for years reports: There are numerous documented cases of both animal and human injuries, sometimes fatal, after carriage horses have become 'spooked'. A US survey of national carriage horse accidents revealed that:
  • 85% of all accidents were the result of an animal spooking
  • 70% of the time there was a human injury
  • 22% of the time there was a human death

Please donate what you can to help this ad campaign continue. We have come to the end of our Metro ad campaign but hope to start it up again soon. Please remember we are all volunteer and do not take salaries. Every penny you donate is put back into the organization. We are the organization that began the "ban" campaign in 2006 and we plan to continue our ad campaign until this inhumane, unsafe and abusive trade is stopped. We are hoping Mayor deBlasio takes positive action soon. Thanks to all of you who have donated to our campaign. It is much appreciated. We cannot do it without your help. Click here if you would like to donate.

Please read the accompanying article "It's a Safety Issue."

CALL-IN DAY - MONDAY SEPT. 15TH - PLEASE CALL THE CITY COUNCIL
about banning the horse-drawn carriage trade (no e-mails or faxes)
If you have not already called, please take the time to do so this coming week - or you can wait until Monday, September 15th - the official day. Your Council Member needs to know how their constituents feel about this issue. Nine months into the deBlasio administration and we are no closer to shutting down the inhumane and unsafe carriage trade than we were one year ago. All we have are empty promises. Please contact your council member and ask him or her to support a bill to ban horse-drawn carriages. CALL THEM. Do not e-mail or fax. These methods of communication are likely to be deleted. Calls have much more impact and are less likely to be forgotten.
  • NYC RESIDENTS: www.council.nyc.gov -- Call your Council Member.
  • OUTSIDE NYC: Call Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito's office. 212-828-9800

Instructions

  • http://www.council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml
  • Plug in your address to find out who your Council Member is.
  • Look for the telephone number for the District Office.
  • SUGGESTED SCRIPT - YOU: Good morning, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent. I live on [your address] I support an unconditional ban on horse-drawn carriages and I would like to know what [your Council Member's name] position is on this issue. You might also tell them it is a public safety issue and it is inhumane. If you live outside of NYC, call Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito's office and tell them were you live.
  • COUNCIL OFFICE: the person who answers the phone may transfer you to someone else or suggest you call the Legislative Office or actually take the message.
  • YOU: If they support a ban - thank them; If they are on the fence ask them why and if they would be open to receiving some links to articles. If they are against the ban - ask them why and if they would be open to receiving some links to articles.
  • IMPORTANT: If they say they would be willing to receive some information, ask them for the e-mail address of a specific person - maybe the Chief of Staff, maybe the Legislative Aide. Do not agree to send it to their office e-mail. You can say that you want to be sure someone receives it.
  • Note: If the Council Office is not able to give you an answer, tell them that you will follow up in a week. Tell them this is a very important issue and you would like an answer. And follow up.

THESE ARE THE ARTICLE LINKS:

  • IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE http://carriagehorsesnyc.blogspot.com/2014/07/its-safety-issue.html this article is about the innate nature of a horse and why they should not be in the streets of NYC
  • MOST PEOPLE WANT A BAN OF HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES http://carriagehorsesnyc.blogspot.com/2014/07/nyc-most-people-want-ban-of-horse-drawn.html
  • LIAM, LIES AND MORE LIES - this is about the lies perpetrated by Liam Neeson and the carriage trade. http://carriagehorsesnyc.blogspot.com/2014/06/liam-lies-and-more-lies.html
RESULT OF PHONE CALL: Please let us know what happened - e-mail us at [email protected]

NEW HOPE FOR AMERICA'S HORSES
excellent article by Susan Wagner-Equine Advocates
New Hope for America's Horses - published in Saratoga Seasons - Summer 2014. Picture is of Bobby II Freedom, rescued, former NYC carriage horse living the good life at Equine Advocated sanctuary.

Note: if difficult to read, increase the magnification on the article.

PLEASE JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Blog & Flickr

HELP OUR ORGANIZATION BY SHOPPING ON LINE - iGIVE
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." Click here to begin. 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.