Barbara, I agree with you that the video will bring necessary exposure to the carriage horses of NY. But I find it hard to get past the woman's idiocy -- at least at the end she started to think about the horse and not just herself.

Good grief, that woman's a fruitcake. You'd think she was in a near-death accident. "Run, RUN!"

Can't get past her hysterics. I'll bet that's the closest she's ever been to a real, live horse. I'd be more impressed with someone RATIONALLY describing the event rather than this drama.

I liked the ditty offered afterwards -- "This is what creatures do". One of the last lines -- "did you notice the horse?"

City streets are just the worst place to have carriage horses. The heat is terrible, and as becomes obvious in this video, what do you do with a horse who needs a break (or in this case more like a vacation), he is still forced to drag the carriage anyway. There should be a proper place, such as in a park, with a shaded area while the horses are waiting for a ride, breaks scheduled into the day, and a much cooler environment, and a place to let a horse get to the shade and water if he's not doing well (which shouldn't happen in the first place if you are doing it right). The idea of carriage horses would be fine, but the setup has to be totally different.

-- Edited by Marlene on Tuesday 9th of August 2011 12:26:31 PM

I have.

So many things wrong, I can't list them all.

If you have been to NY in the heat of summer or the dead of winter you will know that the horses stand shackled (for lack of a better word) hour upon hour, or drag carriages nose to tale pipe in indescribable heat (as my sister who lives there puts it, you walk outside into a furnace), or freezing cold.

While they are waiting in line, the horses are unable to move or turn their neck, unable to scratch or remove a fly, unable to forage for food, unable to freely obtain water. They have only enough movement to stand frozen or, as many do, to prop their feet on the curb, which I can only guess is to relieve pressure from their feet or their back.

Frankly, I find it disgusting when I read threads on other boards rationalizing the treatment of these animals we are supposed to love. I mean, these are LIVE horses, not cars!

As humane people, we must look well beyond the prescribed laws and into our own consciences.

No one with any compassion could watch these horses pulling those carriage through the oppressive congestion and heat this summer and come up with rationale about why it's ok.

 

You don't need to be a horse person or be well-versed in the law to know inhumanity when you see it.

And the prescribed law isn't always right. Afterall, segregation was once law too, but even then, it was disgusting and wrong.

 

 

 

 

-- Edited by Barbara F on Wednesday 10th of August 2011 12:31:04 PM

-- Edited by Barbara F on Wednesday 10th of August 2011 12:31:43 PM

spirithorse wrote:

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well from what you describe the lack of care could be construed as abuse of the horse.

the problem lies in complacency of the humans that turn a blind eye to it.

so why does it exist?  Monetary gains for the city, I doubt that....so why does the city allow the problem to be there?

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 Superb questions, Allan. It's a traditional tourist attraction  - as if NY doesn't have enough for people to experience!

Too bad. Shows what panic attacks can do..
Anyway I hope the City of New York will get enough pressure to make positive changes for those horses.