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Queens Councilman Tony Avella has introduced a bill that would ban the existence of carriage horses in NYC. Another Queens Councilman, James Gennaro, is looking to preserve the practice of equine cabbies that populate the streets of and around Central Park. Manhattan council members are perhaps showing some political horse sense from bowing out of this particular fight. While wanting to preserve the tradition of the horse-drawn carriage trade, Gennaro is also suggesting a fare boost that would raise the rate of a ride $20 a half hour, to $54 for 30 minutes.
The sight of hansom cab horses is a mainstay of the city, but every once in a while a disturbing story crops up, like the driver who whipped his horse--at the instruction of a vet--while his steed was suffering a heart attack and onlookers were horrified. Then this summer, there was the horrific case of a horse galloping out of control down a West Side avenue before being struck by an SUV; while in the fall, a horse was spooked on Central Park South and ran into traffic, later dying. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages will be appearing on the steps of City Hall next Saturday with Councilman Avella.
(Of Course II, by mattcarman at flickr.com)
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one of these days I'm gonna buy a horse and name it "THIS HORSE IS MY SLAVE" and enter it in Horse Races. It will be so awesome when the announcers go "and here comes THIS HORSE IS MY SLAVE down the stretch!!!"
we're lucky to live in a time when technology makes it unnecessary to have horses pull carts and carriages. i think in a few years, there's going to be a consensus that it's cruel, and shouldn't have a place in a civilized city like ours.
Horses just don't belong on city streets. I say we strike at the source and start a movement of flipping to bird at every passenger on the carriages.
Those horses are taking fares away from law-abiding, medallion-renting cabbies!
Isn't that what the cab drivers union always argued in order to get pedicabs regulated? Hey, let's put GPS units and credit card swipes on carriages.
not only is it cruel to make these horses work in chaotic city streets, but the "stables" they keep them in are inhumane. i support the ban. or at least limit it to central park with nice real stables within the park.
you people are ridiculous..get your facts straight first off. this is a part of the history of new york..it also bolsters tourism which accounts for great percentage of new york city's revenue...those horses would probably be glue anyways...
for those who prefer their own non-polluting transportation and automatically built in GPS systems (a brain) there is A RIDE TO FREE THE HORSES Saturday the 8th:
http://times-up.org/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=43&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01returnid=114
for more info on why a ban is necessary see:
http://www.all-creatures.org/nyca/ch-why.html
They should ban horses on the streets, but simultaneously increase the presence of horses on the bridle path in Central Park by making it a more democratic sport and lowering the prices. That is, if people still want horses in NYC. There's better things for a horse to be doing than breathing exhaust and dealing with traffic.
Yes, keep horses in the parks, but create connecting routes among them. Designate some streets for them, e.g., one to connect Central Park to Riverside Park, which would lead north to Ft. Washington and Inwood. The parkways are natural green connectors. Their verges could host bridle paths (as well as greenways for pedestrians and cyclists).
As the owner f the pictured horse,as well as a stable owner and owner of the largest fleet of horse drawn carriages,I feel compelled to add some truths and facts to this blog.First,these horses are licensed and insured,every driver is licensed and certified.To respond to spirit of 76,many carriages already swipe credit cards,and gps's are not really needed since we stay within a 3 mile area!
I would think alternative transportatation people would love horse drawn transportation,like Mackinac Island in Michigan.There everything goes by horse and carriage travel or bike.Maybe NYC can be a car free city and let the horses rule the road.What a idea!Mackinac Island is a huge tourist industry too.Since more & more cities are opening Carriage Horse Companies and more and more people are using them for Weddings,like the Cinderella Theme,Pumpkin Coaches and Big White Horses,and horse drawn hayrides thru the city,especially holiday time with the sleigh bells,NYC should go car free!
To rationalize this inhumane industry acceptable because of its history is beyond absurd. A ban on horse-drawn carriages is long overdue. There are a world of other respectable ways to generate revenue than to capitalize on the misery of animals while compromising public safety. Ban horse-drawn carriages now.
Gandhi: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." This industry is an absolute embarrassment to NYC and all New Yorkers. It is a tradition -- just like slavery was. To see the truth go to: http://youtube.com/watch?v=31GgmMsFzOM