Okay, I’m all for protecting the horses that line Central Park South waiting for tourists to hop in and clip clop around the Park. The recent videos posted on YouTube.com and on various news sites are horrific. But. But I don’t think the ban advocated by the Queens City Councilman will make life all the better for the horses.
First – Because there is no way the ban will ever get passed. The Mayor is against it, the industry is against it and tourists are against it. It will get shot down and nothing will be done, except that the City Councilman from Queens has gotten his name in the news.
Second – Because it doesn’t do anything to guarantee that the horses are treated better. Does the Councilman think that if the carriages are banned all these horses have other jobs waiting? 401k’s? A home out in the Hamptons?
My solution – Simple:
- Confine the horses and carriages to Central Park.
- Ban all motor traffic from the park – a measure that is long over due, cars in Central Park cause many more injuries to pedestrians, bikers, runners and rollerbladers than cars in the street do to horses. There is a reason the transverse roads are below street level – city traffic was never supposed to enter the park.
- Pass legislation that provides for stricter over sight on how the horses are treated.
Now I admit that these measures are probably no more likely to be enacted, but they do make more sense to me.
Let me know what you think.
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I dont like the fact of horse slaughter
I absolutely disagree for the following reasons:
A ban will free these horses from their grueling life on NYC streets. Of course the industry is against it–it’s their business! The mayor is against it because the business has high-level connections in his administration and in the City Council. In order to make important policy changes, you need to BUILD political will, which is already happening. As the public becomes more aware of the horrendous life of these animals, they are demanding that their public servants listen to them. Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council work for us, not the horse-drawn carriage industry.
Confining the horses to the park is impossible. It is a preserved landmark.
And even it you were able to do this, the horses would still suffer from the extreme temperatures in NYC and they would still spook and cause acccidents. As a matter of fact over the past 2 years, more than half of the accidents/deaths have occurred in the park!
Passing more regulations, increasing oversight won’t make a difference. It hasn’t in the past. It’s like putting a band-aid on a deep gash. This is an inherently inhumane practice in NYC. The ASPCA now supports a ban for this reason. Enough it enough. It’s time for this business to go.
Every large city in the world had banned carriage horses – and for a good reason. In the 21st century we do not need animals hauling persons around for entertainment – in frigid ice and snow, and in blistering heat. With all the regulations currently in place, the horses are STILL abused, living in brick warehouses with “stalls” so small they cannot turn around, proper water supplies lacking while outside “working”. The industry is unmanageable and should be banned. Just recently a carriage horse owner was arrested for bribery of an inspector. Who knows what else he’d do to continue to make his money off the sweat of an animal. Let us end this cruelty now.
Carriage horses spend an average of 4 years working on the streets and are then slaughtered and sold by the pound. The owners want the money to help pay for their next horse. Life for for these horses is cruel, and their end is even worse. The retirement farms are an urban myth. The industry is inherently corrupt and many of the drivers start with no training or knowledge of horses. Regarding housing in Central Park, adequate humane turn out for 220 carriage horses would be 220 acres. These good natured animals never have a future and you are kidding yourself if you think otherwise. The ban will happen. It is just a matter of time.
Plus, you may not know that the stables are located between 1 and 2 miles away from Central Park, which means that the horses have to commute through Lincoln Tunnel traffic. So restricting the horses to the park won’t eliminate the accident issue. My point about Central Park being a preserved landmark, relates to the fact that you can’t house the stable there.
The ban will make life better for the horses as they won’t be in the city! Sanctuaries all over the country are willing to take them in. Not only will restricting them to the park (an idea suggested by the ASPCA among others over the years) not make any difference as to their welfare, but even the carriage horse drivers themselves have said they are against the idea. That is why a ban is the only answer and the ASPCA has now agreed with Councilman Avella that it is the only solution.
Mayor Bloomberg is accountable to the city and its voice. New Yorkers do not want these horses in traffic. It is cruel and a public safety issue.
Tourists do not visit this city for horses. In fact many of the tourist live in rural areas with horses. In fact the express shock to see these horses working with the city buses, tour buses and even firetrucks and sanitation trucks.
This cruel and corrupt industry does not support tourism. In fact tourism supports this industry since tourist come to New York with their stronger currency to spend. They can’t spend their money quick enough.
This is not about a politicans name in the press but the voice of the people. The drivers don’t want them because it impedes traffic and is a public safety issues the residents don’t want them because of the strong smell of poop and urine. It is a public health issues. New Yorkers don’t want them because it is inhumane and is a bad image for the city.
As a child I loved Central Park but now I can not bear to be near the area. The horses’ eyes reflect its misery and our apathy.
ASPCA supports the ban since it can not effectively be monitored and the inherent cruelty of the industry
New Yorkers please contact the Mayor and the council. This industry adds no value to the city and the industry is maintained at the financial cost and image of the city.
John,
Previously, horse advocates were told that legislation for a ban would never be introduced, and we’ve proven them wrong.
We will also prove wrong those who think a ban will “never pass.”
I’ve spoken to many tourists from all over the world about the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages, and many feel very strongly that they should be banned.
Your “solutions” are the same tired old ideas that have been thrown around for decades with no results.
There is not such thing as “confining the horses to the park.”
Stables can never be placed inside the park, since it is a landmark, so the horses will always have to travel long distances to get to and from their stables. If you did just a little bit of research, you would learn that many accidents occur on these daily trips back and forth from stables to the park on these heavily congested routes.
The ONLY answer is to get these horses off the streets permanently and put into sanctuaries where they can live the rest of their lives out peacefully. They deserve to live without being enslaved and dominated by humans.
Animal advocates such as myself are committed to making sure that the horses find appropriate homes.
You might be surprised by this John, but not everyone believes that horses need “jobs.” In the 21st Century we should be ashamed our of adamant insistence that other animals exist for our entertainment. Forcing animals to drag us around in carts while they suffer needlessly is indicative of our own species arrogance.
To your first point, I think this seems like a very fatalistic attitude. While at the moment there is not as much support for the legislation as I would like, with greater public awareness of the numerous accidents, traffic problems, and mistreatment of horses, I believe that enough citizens and their city councilors will change their position in order to pass a ban.
The fact is that Councilman Avella would not have taken the time and effort to bring forward legislation on this issue (attracting much negative attention from the carriage industry and others) if he did not genuinely care about helping these animals as well as making New York City’s streets safer for everyone.
As to your second point, I assure you that the councilman and the various citizen groups involved have not forgotten this issue. They have put a great amount of thought into what would happen to these horses, and have contacted ranches, sanctuaries and individuals who would be willing to take them in. Currently, the carriage horses that can no longer work are sold at auction, and many go to slaughterhouses.
Lastly, you suggest that the horses live and work in Central Park, without car traffic. I understand that you are trying to offer a compromising solution to the problem, but unfortunately the park is a City Landmark, and the Central Park Conservancy has stated that is has no intention of allowing stables to be built in the park to house all of these animals, let alone give them pasture land for turnout.
I do agree with you that motor traffic should be banned from inside the park, but then you argue that cars cause more damage to people than to horses. In actuality, the main safety concern is not cars hurting horses, but horses spooking and causing damage to cars, passengers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Just last year a cyclist was hit by a carriage and had to undergo a hip replacement. In 2006, when a frightened horse Spotty rammed into an SUV, he sent three people to the hospital, totaled the car, and injured himself to the extent that he had to be euthanized. This is not simply an issue of animal rights, it is also an issue of public safety.
You also advocate for more oversight. While I agree with this in principle, it does not solve the problem. Even if Central Park could find room for these horses and ban motor traffic, even with regular inspections and adequate enforcement, there are conditions in New York that make it impossible for this industry to be humane. There will still be an incentive for drivers to overwork the horses or work them during heat waves and blizzards, and noises and bright lights in an area as busy as Central Park can still spook horses, creating a serious hazard.
Why fight for a partial solution when we can a achieve a full one?
Ban them completely! There is no need for horses to be subjected to the stress and boredom of going round and round the park at the whim of tourists. They should have pasture and freedom from such human frivolity.
Maybe if the Mayor and some of the fat bastards who ride in the carriages tried pulling them in the cold, the heat and the traffic they would change their tune. It’s sick the way these animals are treated and that the city continues to support this cruelty. Get a life Bloomburg. As for the tourists – go home!
New York City’s horse-drawn carriages require horses to work in extreme weather conditions, pose a public safety hazard (because horses “spook” easily and cause accidents), cause horses to suffer debilitating hoof and leg ailments, and force horses to breathe toxic exhaust fumes that can result in lung damage. Further regulation by agencies that have already proved to be incapable of regulating the industry will not solve the problem. The only humane solution is a permanent ban.
I urge NYC to demonstrate your compassion by supporting efforts to ban horse-drawn carriages. Cruelty to animals does not belong in New York City.
So it’s the same old, same old. Let’s give the “slaves” better conditions (in the park…but how do they get there?) as long as we keep them doing what they’re doing. Poor John, I guess you have no perspective on history:”there is no way the ban will ever get passed”. Didn’t they say that about legislation putting an end to children working in coal mines? about giving women the right to vote? about ending slavery? There is such a thing as social evolution, and there comes a time when we finally realize that a “tradition”, a custom that has always been considered acceptable, is no longer OK.
As for Bloomberg, he will also be history at some point and perhaps his successor will be someone with a heart, capable of true compassion and not only interested in the bottom line. New Yorkers and caring people all around the world are fed up with the sight of these unfortunate animals, who by the way, will all be adopted out or retired to sanctuaries when Avella’s bill passes.
If you believe in putting an end to this poor excuse for “amusement” and an end to an archaic and hideous industry that exploits animals, then call your Councilmember and ask him/her to sign on as a co-sponsor of Intro 658! Don’t just stand there making stupid, defeatist suggestions, do something positive and take action!
I appreciate your thoughtful attempt at some sort of compromise, but I believe the horses should be banned.
Regarding your first point, just because the political climate is currently opposed to the ban is no reason to not support it IF you believe it is right and just. I believe it’s in the best interest of horse and city, so I support it regardless of Mayor Mike’s current position. Until recently the politicians heard only from the interest of the horse and carriage owners. If enough people get behind the proposal, they will change course.
Second, what a ban *does* guarantee is that no future horses will be subjected to poor conditions in NYC for the sake of a cheesy tourist attraction. The horses currently being used will be retired or sold, but we can only speculate as to their future conditions (could be better, could be worse – we can’t know).
Regarding your proposal, it’s my understanding that the Park *can’t* set aside space for a stable. It’s a landmark and national treasure and building a new facility in the park won’t happen. In addition, I doubt a law requiring additional oversight of the horses will result in changed conditions for the horses. Who would police it? It’s not going to be a priority for NYPD and, to their shame, it’s not a priority for the ASPCA today. And they’re in the business of animal protection.
Those are my thoughts. Thank you for highlighting this issue on your blog.
As an equine veterinarian, I have inspected carriage horse operations across the country, including NYC’s in 1988-95, and have advised over a dozen municipalities in promulgating protective regulations. I can assure you that there will never be a humane existence for this anachronistic use of horses in one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world. Restricting them to Central park is a nice fantasy, but would involve cutting the numbers down to about 10 horses and 4-5 carriages, with a stable and appopriate turn-out and oversight by humane law officers—and none of this will ever happen. The industry will never self-regulate or self-limit since they make money by the truckload with their current operations, the Central Park Commissioner will never permit an acre of the Park to be dedicated to such a purpose, not to mention the many acres necessary for proper stabling and paddocks, and there has never been anywhere near adequate oversight of these overworked and undercared for animals in the entire history of NYC’s carriage horse trade.
Tourists will NOT fail to come to spend their $$ in the city if the horses are gone–they may be the icing on the cake of a NYC holiday, but they are no one’s primary reason for coming here.
Let’s join the 21st century and get these animals out of their hostile environment that subjects them to death by heat prostration and vehicular accidents.
The post the Edita says it all. These horses will NEVER be confined to Central Park & The Conservancy will attest to that. Regardless of where they are restricted, they must still be at risk in insane city traffic that is killing & injuring people at this place in time. The horses will do best in the sanctuaries that are already willing to take them in after a ban is established. Stricter legislation is old hat. It’s never worked & never will. Ask the ASPCA about that one.
I disagree, the horses seem happy in their work and provide a lovely, quaint way to tour the park. To deprive visitors of this amenity would be a sin. These are working animals, it’s what they were intended to do.
To Marie Z: These horses are definitely not happy having their lives put in jeopardy every day anymore than you would be. Such noble creatures at the hands of a greedy industry is a disgrace. And who said horses were intended to work and slave and suffer unspeakable brutality at the hands of man. I am in favor of the ban; I will never vote for anyone who opposes it.
To Marie Z: “Depriving” visitors of a short carriage ride through the Park is NOT a “sin”. It’s a frivolous diversion that results in a few photos and is probably quickly forgotten by the customers. While no human is really hurt by this ban, you should watch the actual footage before claiming the horses are :happy”. http://youtube.com/watch?v=31GgmMsFzOM
And I don’t agree that this is what the horses were “intended to do”. Slave owning societies have made similarly wrong arguments regarding humans. Moreover, horses are herd animals that aren’t meant to be isolated and confined to tiny stalls in Manhattan.
I agree about the horses, they are living a terrible existence, but doesn’t that invite other questions as well? What about the animals in the nearby zoo? Aren’t they slaves to our entertainment? How can everyone be so militant about the carriage horses and ignore the fact that there are animals nearby whose sole purpose is for us to gawk at them in their tiny cages? Is it because we think the polar bears are cute that we ignore the fact that they’re miserable as well?
It’s a poor lookout for NYC if banning carriage horse rides keep tourists away. Surely we have more to offer in this great city; culture, arts, theater than this cruelty cloaked as ‘entertainment’.
I care about animals. I hate to see them
exploited so of course I’d like to see
an end to this stupid, frivolous using them for entertainment. Frank Lauren I’m
just as militant about zoos as well. I
HATE the Central Park Zoo and I’d bet
everybody who’s for banning the carriages is as against zoos as you & I are.
It isn”t humane, it isn”t nice. Kindergardeners learn to be nice to animals and others.Why haven”t the adults?
Frank–In that case I suggest that you work on an advocacy campaign to eliminate zoos. The more people the better!
The city and the industry will never do enough to allow the horses to live good lives. The horses need good stables, daily pasturing, which is doable but costs much more than they would ever pay. And how can you take away the noise and traffic from New York City streets to keep the horses from bolting? You cannot. We will not be able to put them in the Park because the Conservancy will never allow it. And even if we did, they would still have to go back and forth from their stables, and they would still be trapped between those shafts for many hours a day. A ban is the only way to relieve the suffering. These horses will be placed in homes. They will not go to auction or slaughter.