Stephen Malone of New York stands near his carriage and horse on 59th St. near Central Park in New York City on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2013. Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio said one of his first acts as mayor will be to ban horse-drawn carriages, arguing that it’s inhumane to make the horses work the dangerous city streets. (photo courtesy of NY Daily News)
Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio is going to ban the well-known tourist attraction after he takes office in January citing the inhumanity to make the horses work the city’s dangerous streets. Animal activists are celebrating this victory. Bill de Blasio says they can be replaced by alternatives like antique-style electric cars.
Many people are flocking to New York to get one more horse-carriage ride before the ban goes into effect.
I’ve been to New York city many times and have seen the horse-drawn carriages up close and personal. I never once had a desire to be taken for a ride by one. This was before I was heavily involved with animal advocacy.
There is a concern what will happen to the horses. Opponents say the horses will be sent to slaughter houses since horse resues are going out of business due to low funds.
According to the NY Daily News:
“Unless these individuals are planning to start a rescue organization for these horses, I think it’s a bit naive to say they will have a place to go.”
Christina Hansen, a carriage driver, agreed. “Horses that have jobs are the last horses that get neglected,” she said. “It’s the horses that don’t have jobs that we’re seeing shipped to slaughter.”
The economics of rescuing so many horses would be daunting.
It costs at least $200 a month to care for one retired horse, experts say, so the tab for sending 200 horses to live out their days in leafy luxury would start at $480,000 a year.
Based on the average age of the horses clip clopping through Central Park, and their life expectancy, the total cost could climb past $8 million over their lifetimes.
Jeri Clausing/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Since 2008, there have been a growing number of neglected, abused and starving horses — leading ranchers, like Charles Graham of New Mexico (pictured), around the country to support human horse slaughter.
And those costs would be on top of the initial expense of buying the horses from their current owners, a tab that could easily reach $200,000, experts say.
The lead group opposing the carriage horse industry, NYCLASS, New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets, vows that it will find good homes for the four-hooved New Yorkers.
“We’ll raise whatever’s needed to take care of every single horse,” NYCLASS spokeswoman Allie Feldman said.
However, the group would not say how much it has raised so far, leaving even other animal rights organizations concerned.
“I hope they can raise that money. Maybe they have a good resource somewhere,” said Sandra DeFeo, a spokeswoman for the Humane Society of New York.
Do you agree with removing horse-drawn carriages from the streets of New York City?
I hope these horses don’t end up in the slaughterhouses. That would be a worse fate than pulling carriages.
What is going to happen to the horses? How will anyone be able to afford to rescue them? At the same time, what they’re doing is wrong for them. Damn if you and damn if you don’t.
Agreed, and it’s a sad thing. While I have to agree that it’s a good thing to get the horses out of the city streets, you can’t just dump them. It’s a case of “do one good thing at the cost of many bad things”.
These carriages are so outdated, it’s not funny. The Amish are known to use them until they fall over and die. I wish people could see the damage that is inflicted on these horses.
YAY, that’s all I have to say!
It’s about time! Bloomberg liked the horse-drawn carriages. What the hell does he know? He has no clue.
I wonder why the group NYCLASS won’t reveal how much money they have raised. Makes me question them.
Horse-drawn carriages on their way out in New York City- couldn’t agree more but I worry what will happen to the horses. I think a solid plan needs to be in place before any law is enacted.
Horse-drawn carriages on their way out in New York City- about time.
So let’s see: DeBlasio gets to feel good about getting rid of the scourge of horse-drawn carriages, but opens the horses to further abuse since now they have no value (since they have been unilaterally “de-valued” by Mayor Feel-Good). Good job.
Very efficiently written story. It will probably be beneficial to anybody who employs it, including me. Maintain up the good work – can’t wait to read far more posts.