NEWS - COALITION TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES

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3-35/99-August 17, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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HORSE SENSE

 

 

 

W

eekly updates about issues and actions concerning New York City's Carriage Horses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

www.banhdc.org

 

 

 

 

 

20 Comptroller's Audit ** Combined Action ** Things to do with Kids ** Horses in Traffic **See Something - Say Something ** Horse Slaughter Bill ** Horse Watch Blog ** Volunteer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONE YEAR LATER - COMPTROLLER'S AUDIT

 

 

 

letters to the editor - West Side Spirit & Our Town

 

 

 

 

 

 

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THE WEST SIDE SPIRIT & OUR TOWN - 8/14/08

-Horses

Need Summer Break - - It has been a very

hot and humid summer. Uncomfortable for

people - but worse for the carriage horses

who cannot get any relief. Kept out in the

blazing sun, horses can easily overheat. As

sweat evaporates from the horse's skin, it

acts as a cooling mechanism, drawing out some

of the surface heat. But in times of high

humidity, it is less efficient. If the air

is humid, sweat will not evaporate. There is no shade on Central Park South or

Grand Army Plaza where the carriage horses

line up to accept passengers - the

unforgiving sun beating down on their heads.

They stand there waiting - with their

blinders and heavy tack, between the shafts

of their carriage.

 

The 2007 NYC

Comptroller's Audit of the agencies that

oversee the industry found that there isn't

adequate shade on the hack line and horses

risked overheating on the hot asphalt where

they were forced to stand. One year later

and nothing has changed.

Existing regulations call for the horses to

be returned to their stables when the

temperature reaches 90 degrees - humidity is

not a consideration. It can be 89 with

humidity making it feel like 95 and the

horses are permitted to work. But equine

experts suggest when the combination of

temperature and humidity or THI exceeds

130-140, the horses should be off the street. It is time for the authorities to pay

attention to the stress experienced by these

horses and at least factor humidity into the

existing law. Elizabeth Forel - President

Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

 

 

NOTE: The Comptroller's Audit

of the

agencies that oversee the carriage industry

was publicized by the NY

Times in September of 2007. The

audit made several recommendations about

conditions concerning the carriage horses but

none have been implemented. Please call your council member and ask them

to look into this. You can reach them at the Council

web site. The long suffering

carriage horses have been mostly ignored by

our City Council. It is bad enough that most

of them are following lock step behind Speaker Quinn

and will not put their name to a morally

justified bill -

Intro

658 -- but worse in a sense - is that

they turn their head to the daily suffering

the horses endure -- the heat; the hot

pavement; the lack of easy access to water;

standing in their own waste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARRIAGE HORSES SUFFER

 

 

 

both national and international

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Project: Please contact

me if:

 

You live in a city where there is a

horse-drawn carriage trade and you want to do

something about it

You are actively working on the issue in

your community

You want to take part in combined action

 

 

 

Contact me at coalitionbanhdc

 

 

 

 

 

 

THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR KIDS

 

 

 

20Should never include exploiting animals - Action Needed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MOMMY POPPINS is a web site that

focuses on

getting more out of NYC with your kids. They

have published a list of "100

things to do with your kids before they grow

up." It includes a lot of fun

things such as going on the Staten Island

ferry or riding the Cyclone at Coney Island.

Unfortunately, #13 - is to ride a horse

drawn carriage in New York City

 

This was brought to my attention by someone

who contacted the editor, Anna Fader, who said

she would consider removing the entry -

but has not. If you want to contact her, her

e-mail

address is mommy but

you will not be reaching the public. I

suggest writing a comment on the blog below.

Please remember that you are reaching

parents who may not be aware of the cruelty

involved and need

to be educated. I noticed only one post that

addressed this on May 18, 2008 "i love

everything on this list except the

horse-drawn carriages and the circus. i want

to teach my children to be respectful and

kind to animals, and those two operations do

not cut it." #99 was watching the circus

elephants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CARRIAGE HORSES WORKING THE STREETS IN NYC

 

 

 

an accident waiting to happen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carriage horses do not "work in the park"

exclusively. Nor do they live there as some

people assume. They begin their day by coming

from their stables on the far west side of

Manhattan to Central Park. The furthest

stable is two miles away. After a certain

time, they can go into other areas of the

city. This video posted on You Tube shows a

typical day -- with the horrendous noises and

traffic. Subjecting horses that weigh

1,500 pounds or more to these conditions is

very dangerous. They can not only spook at

the slightest provocation, but because they

are slow moving, can get into vehicular

accidents.

 

Our Mayor and City Council continue to look

the other way. But these horses deserve so

much better. If you have not already done so

(and even if you have) contact

your Council Member

to ask them to have a heart for the

horses and support

Intro 658, the bill to ban

the industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

FOR THE HORSES: SEE SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING

 

 

 

Report to the ASPCA's Humane Law Division

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you see an accident involving a carr

iage

horse; see a horse in distress (no matter

what it is) - Please report it to the

ASPCA's Humane Law Division. You must give

the following information:

the time of day (i.e. 5:15 PM)

where the incident occurred (i.e. 56th

St. and

9th Avenue)

license plate on the back of the cab

(i.e. 1111) numerals only

4-digit ID number on the left front hoof

of the horse (since this will be hard to see,

a description of the horse - i.e. brown - is

OK)

A description of the carriage (not

necessary but may help)

A description of the driver (not

necessary but may help)

Get the person's name you spoke with at

the ASPCA and ask for a call back. Follow up

in a few days.

Keep us in the loop. Notify us at

coalitionbanhdc

 

 

ASPCA - Humane Law Division - 212-876-7700 -

x 4450. Please refresh your knowledge of the law by

rereading these

sections. Know what times the

carriages are allowed to work and where; how

many people are allowed in a carriage and

when they have to20go back to their stable. However, If you see a horse in any kind

of distress, it is important to report this

to the ASPCA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PREVENTION OF EQUINE CRUELTY ACT of 2008

 

 

 

Please take action and contact your Congressman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A new bill to ban the slaughter of horses in

the US has been introduced into the House by

the Judiciary Committee Chairman, John

Conyers (D-MI) with Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN). The Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act of

2008 (H.R. 6598) would end the slaughter

of American horses for human consumption and

prevent their export for slaughter in other

countries.

 

Why a new bill? The American Horse Slaughter

Prevention Act (H.R. 503/S. 311) has been

stalled in Congress and it is thought that

this bill has a better chance of moving

forward. Please access the HSUS

web site and send a letter to your

Congressman. PLEASE SPEAK OUT FOR THE HORSES!

 

 

 

 

 

 

HORSEWATCH NYC BLOG

 

 

 

Treats, and Terror - August 15, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Treats,

and Terror - Bourbon didn't like

being a Philadelphia

carriage horse...

His driver was none too thrilled about the

job, either. She writes in The Washington

Post about the claustrophobia of being in

traffic, the searing heat, the people yelling

at them. Bourbon worked in a world of things

he feared: jackhammers, skateboarders, and

Dumpsters, to name a few. He was a

stressed-out eater and often succeeded in

getting people to turn over to him the treats

they20were munching on.

And just like that, his days as a

Philadelphia carriage horse were over. One

winter, he was sold to a carriage company in

Minneapolis.

 

His driver, Adele Levine, wrote fondly of

her days working with Bourbon, even though

she says they both hated the job. I guess

they were both desperate. She, however,

surely had more options that being bought and

sold like an old, beaten-up car. We can only

hope that Bourbon enjoyed a new life

somewhere, but we are not so optimistic. In

an industry that is too cheap to euthanize

the horses when they deemed unable to do the

job, horses often come to a terrible end. Read:

"The City Was His Feedbag" (Aug.

15, 2008)

Photo credit: George Widman, The Associated

Press

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VOLUNTEER WITH US

 

 

 

every weekend weather permitting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We table every Saturday weather

permitting -- handing out fliers and getting

signatures on post cards or petitions. We

educate people

about the inhumanity of the carriage horse

trade. It is very rewarding and our presence

on Central Park South near the hack line is

very important.

 

Please contact Rita, our volunteer coordinator if

you are available for next weekend - Saturday,

August 23rd. Hours are from 1-5. Rita can

be reached at

volunteerforthecoalition

 

 

 

 

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0 Pictures: 1-Horse standing in his own waste;

2-Buddy involved in an accident; 3-Columbus

Circle; 4-NYC carriage horse; 5- horse at

slaughter house 6- Big Adorable Teddy -

rescued carriage horse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

email:

coalitionbanhdc

 

 

web:

http://www.banhdc.org

 

 

 

 

 

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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.