Oh dear. Word just came in over the newswire that a horse and buggy has been struck on East 60th Street and 5th Avenue. The report says there are "2 aided at this point," and we'll update as soon as more information becomes available. Hopefully the horse is okay, but either way this will surely give animal rights activists more evidence that horses shouldn't be lugging tourists around the crowded streets of NYC.
UPDATE: Elizabeth Forel of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages writes in, saying "A taxi going south on Fifth Avenue turned into Grand Army Plaza and plowed into a carriage, knocking it over and smashing it. It is not known if there were any passengers. The taxi continued, crashing into a short wall and causing damage. The horse bolted but is probably OK. The carriage driver looked 'severely injured' according to one bystander—removed to an ambulance on a stretcher with a neck/head brace The taxi driver was also hospitalized." We'll update when we get further details on the conditions of the horse and humans.
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UES or Brooklyn? Last I heard, Grand Army Plaza was in Brooklyn...
NannyState
Welcome to New York. The Grand Army Plaza is that old school-looking plaza between the Plaza Hotel and the General Motors Building. We enjoy regular subway service, and yes, please use protection.
Espiazul
I would like to introduce something slightly new being contributed about this: it hurts my heart to see these poor animals living their lives like this. Truly does. They're such beautiful animals.... Slaves. You guys that can't find a reason for helping these animals have better lives, we put harnesses around your necks and make you stand in your own shit. I wouldn't feel bad about seeing a heartless beast of a human that would cause another living being such gloom and pain. You want to call me a bleeding heart? It wouldn't bleed for you.
just saying
One more thing, the scumbag carriage drivers also blatantly overcharge their clueless passengers. Anything for a fast buck.
The price of a ride is posted clearly on every carraige--despite what the self-righteous animal "activists" say. The totally unregulated, dangerous and out of control bicycle-rickshaw drivers on the other hand, clog the streets and charge whatever the market will bear. How come none of y'all are concerned about hose poor poor HUMANS who also work for their daily bread, eh? Yeah, kill the horses...that'll give them a better life!
just saying
Look at the video previously posted above. The carriage drivers quote their passengers a price different than the one posted on the side of the carriage. They've found out how easy it is to fool many clueless tourists. In fact, it's the activists who point out to the tourists the legal posted price.
sounds like you are the scumbug...get a life loser.
just saying
And you sound like one of the drivers. Guess this is an easier gig for you than the 3 card monte scam.
DannoNYC
More horses, less cars! Love carriage horses. Shut up animal liberation nuts. No one is listening. No one.
moonbeam
Apparently you're listening or you wouldn't have registered at gothamist just to post your stupid comments on this story.
just saying
"Monitoring by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Consumer Affairs at the Central Park South carriage stands is inadequate, the audit found, and lax veterinary care in the field and infrequent inspections have created health hazards. In addition, horses are not provided with enough water, risk overheating on hot asphalt and are forced to stand in their own waste because of inadequate drainage, the report said. And though licensing is an important tool for tracking horses, the audit found that the paperwork for 57 carriage horses described different animals from year to year, though the license numbers did not change."
The carraige horses are one of the nicest things about Manhattan. Reckless asshole cab-drivers are one of the worst. They should ban taxis before they ban the horses. And horse shit smells a lot better than most hacks...
marcyd
Would disagree - horse-drawn carriages are one of the most useless stupid and cruel institutions in the city.
Spirit of 76
The difference is that taxicabs provide useful transportation while horse-drawn carriages are strictly for pleasure. If you got rid of all cabs tomorrow, thousands if not tens of thousands of people would have problems getting around the city. I don't like them and I don't take them, but there are people who can't or won't take subways or buses. Get rid of carriages tomorrow and some tourists would complain but they would survive and could quickly find other diversions.
Potty Boy
Why does every issue have to devolve into a choice between the most extreme examples of 2 absolutes? How about responsibility all around so we can live and let live? How about hacks slowing down? And horse-carriage operators treating their animals humanely? Wouldn't that commons sense approach make the issue go away?
Spirit of 76
I meant I don't like cabs and don't take them.
just saying
Most of those carriage horses are older, hard-worked Amish farm horses purchased at the large horse auction in Pennsylvania. The horses not purchased at the auction are usually destined for the horsemeat and pet food market which should give you an idea of their condition.
Life as a carriage horse for them isn't better. When not on the street, these horses are kept in small cramped quarters. Those scumbag carriage drivers line the poor horses up on Central Pk. South in the early morning hours and keep them there until after midnight (I was surprised to see the horses out so late). It's a long dreary existence for a Central Park carriage horse.
At the very least, these horses should be confined to Central Park. They don't belong on the dirty congested streets of midtown Manhattan.
Clarice City
Do you have some proof of this? Not being an ass, but my inlwas are in Amish country and I have seen many a live stock auction. Just cuirous if this statement has some data behind it.
just saying
The horse auction in New Holland, PA is the LARGEST horse auction east of the Mississippi and is well known as a place to buy horses very cheaply. It is also well known to many equine protection groups who are outraged by the deplorable conditions they have found there.
Here are just a few links and you can find a lot more by doing a search.
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