New York City’s Carriage Horses:
A Dangerous And Inhumane Industry That Must End
Please use the form at the bottom of this page to contact Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages, of which IDA is a member, reports that there have been nine adverse incidents involving carriage horses that have resulted in vehicular accidents, injury to horses or passengers, or in one case, the death of a carriage horse. All of these have occurred since July 2011, spanning a period of just nine months, averaging out to about one incident per month.
Most incidents occur when a horse “spooks,” a situation in which a horse suddenly becomes frightened and takes flight, dragging the carriage behind him. In a noisy, chaotic environment like New York City, things that can spook a horse are a constant reality.
There are also horses who collapse or become entangled in carriages and harnesses. Sometimes they collapse for no apparent reason, like Charlie, who collapsed and died on the street in October. His death is still unexplained.
A noisy, congested city is no place for horse-drawn carriages. These horses suffer day-in and day-out, from pulling carriages in all manner of weather extremes, to their dark and lonely nights spent in the barren warehouses where they return at the end of their nine hour days. By law, they can work seven days a week.
You can help by speaking out against the cruel carriage horse industry in NYC.
1) Use the form at the bottom of this page to send a letter to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. It is important for him to understand how people feel about this inhumane industry.
2) Snail mail: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Hall, New York, NY 10007.
3) Sign up to participate in Lobby Day on May 1. If you live in the New York metropolitan area, sign up to participate in Lobby Day on Tuesday May 1, 2012. Concerned animal advocates will travel to Albany to urge support for pending bills (A07748 and S5013) that would ban the carriage horses in NYC. League of Humane Voters has arranged for a bus to transport individuals from NYC to Albany and back. You can sign up at this link: http://carriagehorselobbyday.org/.
Scroll to the bottom of this page to take action now!
Here is a brief summary of carriage horse incidents occurring in the past nine months:
- July 16, 2011– a carriage horse spooks and bolts, galloping from Fifth Avenue, up Central Park South to 7th Avenue, hitting a taxi and car on the way
- End of July, 1011– a carriage horse spooks and falls while pulling tourists in Central Park
- July 25, 2011– a taxi crashes into flimsy horse-drawn carriage, causing serious injuries to driver and passengers
- October 23, 2011- Charlie, a NYC carriage horse, collapses and dies on West 54th St. on his way to work. The cause of his death is still unexplained.
- October 28, 2011– a carriage horse spooks on Central Park South and runs into the traffic, eventually crashing and falling in the park. He is no longer in the industry.
- November 4, 2011- Luke, a NYC carriage horse, collapses on West 60th St. He is down for 15 minutes.
- December 4, 2011– a carriage horse named Charlie (another Charlie) collapses on West 59th St. He was painfully pulled up by his bit. He is no longer in the industry.
- February 14, 2012– a carriage horse suddenly falls in Central Park and breaks his leg. He is no longer in the industry.
- March 3, 2012 – an unnamed horse spooks on 11th Avenue and 52nd St., dragging his empty, overturned carriage into the street.
Personalize and submit the form below to send your comments to:
- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
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Dear [Decision Maker],
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I am a member of In Defense of Animals, and I implore you, as Mayor of New York City, to bring an end to the cruel industry that forces horses to pull cumbersome carriages in heavy midtown traffic.Over the past nine months, there have been no less than nine adverse incidents involving carriage horses that have resulted in vehicular accidents, injury to horses or passengers or, in one case, the death of a carriage horse. This terrible track record reveals an industry that must be shut down.NYC is one of the most congested cities in the world. Slow moving horse-drawn carriages pose a safety issue to the public and carriage riders and often get in the way of emergency vehicles.The horses are denied the freedom to roam and stretch their limbs on a daily basis, something essential to their health. By law, horses are allowed to work nine hours a day, seven days a week. Although they are supposed to get a 15 minute break every two hours, there is no way to enforce this provision.The romantic image of the horse-drawn carriage is a myth. I would never take a carriage horse ride and I would discourage anyone from ever doing so. All recent polls of public opinion show that more than eighty percent believe the practice should be ended. Both Frommer’s and Fodor’s guides to NYC warn tourists and visitors against supporting this inhumane and dangerous industry. New Yorkers and tourists feel its time to end this cruel industry. Please act to remove this blight from your wonderful city.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
