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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: ** Illegal - drivers use horse in Climate March ** - Telephone Tuesday call the City Council ** ** Learn more about the issue ** Icons of Misery - new blog ** ad in Our Town
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.
CARRIAGE DRIVERS USE HORSE ILLEGALLY IN CLIMATE MARCH
Scofflaws never got variance from Depart. of Transportation because of public safety issue
We were shocked to learn that the selfish and greedy carriage drivers brought a carriage horse into the People's Climate March last Sunday September 21st. But there they were riding in the parade, lying about being invited by "some group." Well here's the deal. We verified that they were NOT invited and besides this would not have been the way to go about participating in this march. Horses do not get to be "invited" to parades. There is a process to be followed that includes requesting a variance from the Department of Transportation (DoT) (regulations are in blog below). I spoke with the Manhattan Borough Commissioner of the DoT and she told me that there was no request for a variance and if there had been, the DoT would not have approved it. WHY? Because it is dangerous to subject a 2,000 horse to noisy crowds. It is a public safety issue.
The carriage drivers continually ignore the many regulations on the books. We know how absurd it is when they claim to be overseen by five city agencies. Yes the laws exist on paper, but they ignore most of them because they are not enforced. When is the Mayor's office, City Council, NYPD and other city officials going to crack down on these scofflaws?
No place for a horse. Teamsters and carriage drivers put horse in harm's way by using him in the Climate March ... and it was illegal.
DON'T FORGET: TELEPHONE TUESDAY - Sept. 30th
Please take a few minutes to call your Council Member
We are starting a new initiative - Telephone Tuesday - to help you remember to make your call. On Tuesday (or any day) please take a few minutes to call your Council Member -- if you have not yet done so. Thanks to all of you who have made the calls -- particularly those who called from outside NYC. Thanks for caring so much.
Your participation is the only way to make a difference -- not standing on the side lines and expecting someone else to do it. If you do not make the small effort to call your Council Member, how do you expect they will know your views?
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. 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.They might say that there a bill had not yet been introduced. Tell them that the Mayor has said a bill will be introduced soon and you want to know in general whether they would support a ban or not.
- 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:
RESULT OF PHONE CALL: Please let us know what happened - e-mail us at coalition@banhdc.org
ICONS OF MISERY: NYC CARRIAGE HORSES
the saga of dead pigeons and grain mixed with pigeon feces
NYC carriage horses on the hack line often have to share their grains with hungry pigeons whose feces gets mixed in. Some drivers use a bucket - others lazily throw the grains on the filthy ground. As if that were not bad enough, many of the pigeons are run over and killed by the carriage wheels as the drivers laugh about it.
Read the new blog : Icons of Misery: Take a Good Look Around the Hack Line
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ISSUE
You will not find the truth about the ban issue reported in the media. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages has written many blogs on the carriage horse issue. Please take the time to read them. The name of our blog is CarriageHorsesNYC.
- WE REMEMBER SMOOTHIE - Smoothie died in 2007 as a result of a spooking accident. Note the picture and attitudes of the people surrounding her.
- OPEN LETTER TO NYC COUNCIL RE CARRIAGE HORSE BAN ISSUE - this was sent to the City Council
- IF ONLY THE MAYOR WOULD VISIT THE CARRIAGE STABLES ... the carriage drivers and their supporters continue to ask the Mayor to visit the stables. We wish he would and compare them to appropriate stables that the carriage horses do not enjoy. .
- IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE - discusses the nature of a horse and why they should not be on the streets of congested cities.
This image of Smoothie was taken as she lay dying in 2007. The poignancy of this photo is the body language of the men surrounding her. No one is offering her any comfort; no compassion; no soothing or stroking of her face as she dies. Heartbreaking to see but not surprising. This is the way we know the carriage drivers. Does anyone still think these people love their horses - "like family"?
AD IN OUR TOWN and WESTSIDE SPIRIT
The ad was 1/4 page - This is what the text said:
BEST PRO-HORSE ANIMAL RIGHTS GROUP: The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is an all-volunteer grassroots group formed in 2006. Our goal is to shut down the inhumane and unsafe carriage trade, which has enjoyed many entitlements from past administrations in the way of low fees, subsidized rent, unenforced laws, and a laissez-faire attitude toward the horses' suffering. A turnover of 71 horses a year is recorded in this business, and we believe many are laundered through the Amish on their way to the kill auctions.
Countless accidents involving horse-drawn carriages have been documented, most caused by nervous, spooking horses, resulting in dead and injured horses and injured humans. It is only a matter of time before a person dies.
We say enough is enough and implore Mayor deBlasio to take the action he promised: Ban horse-drawn carriages and save the horses.
- Website: banhdc.org
- Blog: carriagehorsesnyc.blogspot.com
- Facebook: No Walk in the Park
- Twitter: Ban HDCarriages
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
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.
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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.
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