Scared by Drums, Carriage Horse Dies in Crash

if you do not eat meat, and never wear leather or wool, and dont eat produce grown on a farm that uses work animals, etc., then you are allowed to criticize the horses in nyc.

but the idea that these "poor" horses "have it bad" compared to the HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS that are raised in unfavorable conditions only to be slaughtered so that we can eat cheeseburgers or spend 14 hours a day pulling plows through a field, is pretty silly.

as someone who eats meat and wears leather shoes, etc., i know that while a horse living the life as a carriage puller in nyc in not the ultimately ideal life for a horse, i am rational enough to know that compared to the alternative, these horses don't really have it that bad.

it would be nice to think that every horse were allowed to frolic free in a pasture their entire life, but that isn't realistic. animals are raised and bred, for the most part, to serve humans. if you don't like that idea and think that animals and humans exist on the same evolutionary level, then you need to stop eating meat, wearing leather, etc. etc. etc.

trust me, the conditions for animals being raised for food or to work on a farm are much worse for those animals than pulling a carriage in nyc.

and, as for the argument that horses dont belong in a metropolitan area, that same argument could be used for dogs. there is never a call to ban dogs from the city when one gets loose and is hit by a car, etc. (which does happen often). if you are ready to ban horses from nyc, are you ready to ban dogs?

i am not a carriage driver or a advocate for the carriage industry, i'm just a realist. i know that conditions for the horses in nyc are not ideal, but conditions for animals in this world are almost never ideal. if you think horses in nyc are mistreated, take a trip to a slaughterhouse or a chicken farm. the horses in nyc are fed well, can only work a limited number of hours a day, are forced to stop working if the temp reaches a certain degree, etc.

that all being said, it does not mean that the conditions for carriage horses in nyc cannot be improved. there should a hitching post for every carriage in central park or the drivers should be forced to stand with their horse. in almost every case in which a horse was injured, it could have been prevented if the horse was tied up and couldnt bolt off while unattended. in addition there should be more water spigots for the horses to drink from. also, while most horses are treated well by their drivers and owners, just like in any industry, there are a few that mistreat their animals (over work them, double shifts, etc.). the industry should be more closely monitored by a single organization.

the problem with organizations like the coalition to ban the carriages and peta, etc. is that their only goal is to outright ban the carriages (which is very unlikely to happen). and because of this, they have no interest in helping improve the conditions for the horses.

Those poor horses are nothing less than horse slaves. What horses have endured throughout the ages is horrible enough, but to force them, many of them old and tired, to drag tourists around NYC in the 21st century is unconscionable. They need all our voices to speak up for them!

um mr. dumb tourist, how bout looking at the horse more closely. the horse looks like it's on his last legs and he's going to pull your lard ass family around central park.

I say we give the finger to every tourist riding in one of these things. Maybe I'll start some sort of official campaign.

I hope someone beats the crap out of you.

Typical Gothamist comments: blame the tourists. Most people from out of town probably assume that such a wonderful and enlightened place like New York regulates the carriage business and that the horses are well cared for. How about starting close to home and get the city council on the project? I know they are busy renaming streets and banning food items but maybe they can work this into their schedule.

I don't get it.

Could someone explain to me what's so "romantic" about having a worn-out horse drag your carriage around the city.

The problem isn't the street entertainers. Horses don't belong on congested city streets.

At the very least, the horses should be restricted to INSIDE Central Park. There is no humane reason for a horse to be put in the midst of speeding, honking cars. As shown many times before, this is a recipe for disaster.

Those poor horses have a terrible life. Most of them start out as farm horses and when they become old, they are sold cheaply to carriage horse concessioners. After a few hard years on the streets of NYC, they're frequently sold again at auction for their meat.

You don't have to look very far. Just look for the buffoon blackfaces moonwalking and headspinning to an old-school ghetto blaster, keeping time with clap-yo-hands and a kmart drum set.

I think the carriages should be banned, but, am I the only one who would like to find that asshole with the drum and beat him to a pulp?

Wow. Horses are pretty fu*in stupid, eh??

When I read this first sentence:

"A 12-year-old carriage horse named Smoothie died after frightened on Central Park South yesterday afternoon."

I knew it had to be a Jen Chung story. "died after frightened"???? Come on, Jen!

the carriage drivers will have a protest tomorrow. they are calling on the city to reign in street performers with drums who set up close to horses.

how bout not having horses in the city? what about cars and trucks honking. a truck's air horn is loud, too.

They dont belong in the city.... who cares about typos we all get the point.

I saw a family on one of these, the newborn baby sucking in the horse butt farts looks barely 3 months old.

that pic is very sad, look at all the people milling around the horse. A horse who's probably dead now.

I say we give the finger to every tourist riding in one of these things. Maybe I'll start some sort of official campaign.

poor horse...nyc sux..where is travis bickle?

Love the typos:

died after frightened

"in full gallop,",

Though second horse,

His suggestions: [one suggestion listed]

Do you even read this stuff before you publish?!?!

OK, the double wide ass tourist.

most of those "lard ass tourists" are from the states of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

if that is true that these horses were bought from Amish farmers to be worked to death then that is truly sad.

Hey you fat midwestern tourist, walk you lard ass.

Poor horses.

Most of those carriage horses around Central Park look so worn down. A lot of those horses are bought cheaply from Amish farmers in Pennsylvania after they've been worked hard for many years.

I've seen on of these horse carriages in Times Square of all places. It's cruel. They need to get the horses out of the city.

okay, 40 minutes LYING ON A CITY STREET IN SHOCK. . .

Does your family member also have to wait 40 minutes for emergency care to arrive in a life-threatening situation?

have you been to a city e.r.? lately? 40 minutes would be a miracle.

Carolyn Daly, a spokeswoman for the Horse & Carriage Association of New York said, "These aren't just horses, these are like their family."

Yeah, but only if your family member is forced to pull a carriage over hard concrete in speeding traffic for many hours a day with no relief in inclement weather. Does your family member also have to wait 40 minutes for emergency care to arrive in a life-threatening situation?