IS THE DOH ACTUALLY ADMITTING THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF A HUMANE CARRIAGE HORSE INDUSTRY?

Suggests Current Multi-Level Stables are Unacceptable

But Still Can't Even Recommend Accepted Standard for Stall Size

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, February 3rd on proposals to allegedly improve the horse-carriage industry. Horse advocates are expected to provide comments. But try as they might, the DoHMH cannot even meet industry standards for horses with their new proposals.

While touting a five week vacation for horses per year, the DoH fails to acknowledge that experts advise that horses need daily turnout or pasture time – time to run, buck, roll, play with other horses and sleep in the pasture. This helps with colic, nutrition, tying up disease and a horse's overall well being. The DoH knows it is impossible to do this in NYC and to treat the horses like living creatures and not money making machines.

The DoH is also trying to pull the veil of transparency down and do away with the engraved number identification on the horses hoof so it will be impossible for the public to report with accuracy a lame or sick horse. This 4-digit number has also previously helped to locate and rescue horses in slaughter auctions.

Because the DoH obviously wants the industry to remain viable and because these proposals were made with input from the carriage industry, the new recommended size of stalls is 70 sq. feet -- less then ½ the recommended size for a 1,000 pound horse. Currently the regulations only require 48 sq. ft. Experts recommend a stall size of 12 x 12 feet – 144 sq. feet for a 1,000 pound horses and 14 x 14 foot minimum for the large draft breeds.

Cramming a horse into such a small stall because that is the only space available is like squeezing a size 9 foot into a size 6 shoe. Very uncomfortable!

The DoH is also not able to address the available potable water issue for horses. The two water troughs in Central Park are turned off for half the year depriving the horses of free flowing (albeit questionable) water in the Park. But public water troughs are a known source of microbes - a place where drunks can urinate and people have been seen washing up -- where a horse can pick up a disease and pass it on to another horse. It is a veterinarian's nightmare.

But the pièce de résistance is the DoH’s position on new stables. Starting January 31, 2011, “no new stables shall be equipped with stalls that are located above first or street level of the stable.“ This will not affect any of the existing stables, which are grandfathered in, but it officially acknowledges a new correct standard – and essentially admits that it is both inhumane and dangerous to house horses on upper levels as they are all housed how – as horse advocates have always claimed. It is difficult on older horses to make the ramp every day and it becomes a fire hazard if there were a fire on the ground level. The ramp would act as a chimney and there is only one means of egress in the front of the building on the ground floor. The horses would die.

These proposals are a sad attempt to make improvements to a faltering out-of-control industry. They only prove that it is impossible to run this trade humanely in New York City. The Department of Health and the City need to come to this realization and to stop wasting City resources.

NYC Health Dept. Proposes New Regulations for Carriage Horses

The NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has proposed new updates and revisions to Health Code Article 161 and Chapter 4 of the Commissioner's Regulations concerning carriage horses. A public hearing will be convened on Tuesday, February 3, 2010 at 125 Worth St.

While we understand that the DoH is limited in what they can regulate, we nevertheless applaud their efforts in trying to improve conditions for NYC carriage horses.

However there are some proposed regulations that are window dressing and deserve comments.

It is suggested that horses get five weeks vacation a year. Taken out of context, this sounds good - more than most people get. But here's the rub.

These horses work nine hours a day, seven days a week in congested traffic in all kinds of bad weather conditions. They live in cramped stalls in multistoried warehouses. They are herd animals and need daily turnout - a pasture to run free and socialize with other horses. This does not exist in the barren warehouse buildings where they live. Five weeks of vacation is meaningless in this context because the horses are broken and exhausted by the time they are eligible for a "vacation." This is simply a nod to the industry sanctioning something that is totally unenforceable.

There are many other problems with these proposed regulations including the disingenuous so called smoking ban. The real danger to the horse's lungs comes from living a nose to tailpipe existence, sucking up car and bus exhaust all day. The only way to change that is to ban the industry from operating.

At the same time the proposed regs will prohibit drivers talking on their cell phones, texting, reading newspapers, taking pictures and videos while driving and otherwise not paying attention to the road - something that is very prevalent among the drivers.

We also understand that the Department of Health must follow the lead of the mayor who up to now has supported the industry. But, it still sounds like the City is horsing around with these regulations, trying to placate critics of the industry and some of the Advisory board members at the same time.

This small “industry”, made up of only a couple of hundred people, for some reason has a hold on city politicians. Thinking people, however, know this anachronistic trade can never be made right. The only logical and humane solution is to shut down this business and to retire the horses to sanctuaries - saving them from a life of exploitation pulling unsafe carriages around crowded streets.

We are in a new decade. Let’s make it right for the horses.

UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION == HORSES GO TO THE DOGS

Hey everyone. Good to be back in the old US of A working the blogs again. I’ve spent the last several months in Europe visiting family in Manchester and my college buddies now living in London and Rome. Great trip. I got to hang out and protest with activists in Rome and saw the carriage horses or Botticelle as they call them there. It’s just as bad as New York City.

Having been home for a while now, I’ve been catching up with what's going down with the carriage horses. I joined the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages and Friends of Animals on December 5th, which is the international day of action for carriage horses around the world. You can even see me in some of the video that was shot. I am in the back, of course.

The Coalition had access to an undercover investigation done by Animals Angels and it is on their web site. West Side Livery stable on W. 38th Street was the main subject of the rally. The pictures shown here were taken at that stable and are from the report.

Since I have been back, I’ve learned that the ASPCA managed to convince the City Council to delete the section from a dangerous bill, Intro 653A, that would have removed the ability of the ASPCA’s agents to do inspections of the stables. Bully for them, but what about the horses?

News gets around through the Internet and while I was in London, I saw a petition about this very topic. The ASPCA was very sure that they would lose their power. They appealed to the world.

This is a section from one of those letters: "ASPCA agents monitor the care and condition of the horses, checking stalls for proper bedding, size and cleanliness. They also check on feed to ensure that a proper amount is on hand and that it is free of vermin, as well as evaluate lighting, ventilation and unsafe conditions at the stables."

I’m here to tell you that THIS IS A LIE and not to believe the ASPCA! The City Council should not have been so quick to let them continue to inspect the stables since they do not do a good job.

However, the whole thing is messed up because while the ASPCA is incompetent, everyone was afraid that the carriage industry would self regulate. This (if you can believe it) would be worse.

Hey... Don't believe what I say. The proof of the ASPCA's incompetence is West Side Livery. It's one of five carriage horse stables in New York City. The conditions in this stable happened on the ASPCA’s watch. It's a hell hole. However, this is also proof of what would happen and be more wide spread if the industry self regulated. It's a classic example of people who really care (us) being caught between a rock and a hard place.

The pictures from the Angels' report show filthy stables and dirty horses with urine and feces stains. It also shows tie stalls that confine a horse like a veal crate with the horses tethered to their feeding trough. In referring to the bad air circulation at the stable, the Angels' report stated that "only a few fans are installed on each floor and one can only imagine the temperatures there during the hot summer months."

The report also mentioned that they found plastic "water" buckets in the stalls that were empty. It went on to state "The stalls had very poor bedding, a thin layer of sawdust only covering parts of the stall so that the horses were forced to stand on the bare floor." The most important part of the report was about fire protection. "Fire protection is another concern with this stable. The horses have to be untied from the feed troughs and evacuated from the upper floors, which would be extremely difficult. In addition, no sprinkler system and no other fire protection devices were observed except some “fire buckets” filled with sand." Fire protection experts say that the steep ramp found in all multistoried stables would act as a chimney if there were a fire, likely killing everything on the upper floors. Having grown up on a farm, I know how timid and fearful horses can be. They would never escape. They would die.

Thank you incompetent ASPCA. Thank you corrupt City Council.

So, why is the ASPCA still allowed to "inspect" these stables? I understand they made a deal (with the devil) to support this terrible bill in exchange for being allowed to keep their inspection powers.

Only in New York, kids. Only in New York. I might just go back to the UK. I've had it with the incompetence, the fraud, the corruption, and the sell outs.

note: photos courtesy of Animals' Angels via Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages web site.

Make your voice heard on Sept. 15!

Vote for Tony Avella in the Democratic primary

Tony Avella introduced the landmark legislation that would ban New York City's inhumane horse-drawn carriage industry. He also has sponsored all manner of humane legislation, including the pets-in-housing bill (can you imagine not being able to have a pet?) Truly, he is the best friend that New York City animals have ever had.

Avella works tirelessly for our neighborhoods, something that surely can't be said of Bloomberg or Thompson. Their allegiances are to the real estate industry, not to the people of New York City. Avella is a fighter for small businesses that have been exploited mercilessly. He is a passionate advocate for fixing our broken education system, by empowering teachers and parents and by putting an end to "teaching to the test."

Do your neighbors know what Tony Avella has done for our city? Do the small businesses in your neighborhood? Now is the time to let them know that he has been championing their cause! Spread the word. People will likely be glad to hear from you that there is a meaningful choice. Make history on September 15. Vote in the Democratic primary for the progressive candidate, Tony Avella.

TAKE ACTION! Window and lawn signs are available from the Avella campaign! Request yours today. Contact Hema Patel, Field Director, Tony Avella for Mayor.
PHONE: 718-855-7035
EMAIL: action@tonyavellaformayor.com

SPOOKING: HORSES AT RISK

I recently came upon a new blog called Spooking: Horses at Risk. Anyone who knows horses knows how unpredictable they can be. Huge animals, they are easily frightened, which is why they often wear blinders and ear plugs when on the street. Some are even drugged. Anything to block out the craziness of city streets. Anything to take away their natural instincts and turn them into automatons.

One of Spooking: Horses at Risk's entries is duplicated and credited here:

An interesting on line article called Spooking Car Accidents discusses car accidents and insurance claims related to horses spooking. The article states that according to statistics in the United States, 85% of all car crashes involving horses occur as a result of spooking. Spooking refers to an incident where a horse is alarmed by some sudden change in the external environment such as a car horn, a pedestrian dashing across the road, or a loud noise from a construction site.

The article continues -- “When spooked the horse will panic and behave unpredictably, often leading it to lash out or bolt. There have been numerous cases in recent years of horses spooking which have led to car accidents. A number of these cases have resulted in fatal accidents, while many more have caused serious personal injuries.

The same US study reports that in cases where a horse has spooked in an urban or town environment, 70% of the time it has led to a person suffering serious personal injury, while 22% of the time it has resulted in a fatal car accident. Both London and Paris have recently banned the use of horse-drawn vehicles because of the risk of car crashes.

Another major factor behind these bans has been a regulatory fear of compensation claims. As car accidents involving horses result in such a high proportion of serious personal injuries and deaths, the use of horses in cities opens up both the councils and the companies using the horses to potentially costly personal injury compensation claims."

FEAR MONGERING ON W. 44TH STREET

On Monday night, May 11th, The Committee on Legal Issues Pertaining to Animals of the NYC Bar Association hosted a program entitled "Yay or Neigh - Should The Carriage Horse Industry Be Banned in NYC? As I stated in my previous blog, the panel consisted of:

DR. HOLLY CHEEVER, DVM; ELIZABETH FOREL, President of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages ; DONNY MOSS, Documentary filmmaker, Blinders; MARTHA ROBINSON, Associate General Counsel, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; STACY WOLF, Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel, Humane Law Enforcement, ASPCA.

Although members of the carriage industry were invited to speak, the invitation was either ignored or declined. Council Members Liu, Weprin and Koppell, who support the industry bill, were also invited but declined. They apparently did not have the guts or knowledge to defend a bill to which they put their name.

I am "borrowing" a lot of material from the e-newsletter Horse Sense put out by the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages -- but it is so important that I wanted to share it with you.

First of all ... You can read Holly Cheever, DVM's and Elizabeth Forel's presentation by going to the http://www.banhdc.org/ web site. But for this purpose, just click on their name. Dr. Cheever is so knowledgeable, you will not want to miss it. And Elizabeth Forel addresses misconceptions in a very thorough and interesting way -- such as why it is not feasible to put the horses in Central Park -- or if the industry is banned, all the horses will go to slaughter.

Second ... the videos. Oh My!!! Members of the carriage industry stationed themselves outside the NYC Bar Association building and took pictures of people going into the building. It was such a pathetic attempt at intimidation. See the video Surveillance on Youtube. These guys are really thugs.

And a new addition to the Youtube library are excellent videos by HorsefeathersNYC who taped Council Member Tony Avella who stopped by to say a few words. The Council Member talked about the issue and how his colleague, Council Member Gennaro made a fool of himself at the January 30th hearing by grilling a representative of the Bar Association.

Click on the name of the video and you will be transported through space to Youtube.

Councilman: Every Horse Healthy?

Avella apologizing for James Gennaro's tirade.

Gennaro took his name off the carriage industry bill.

Avella: NYC will truly be animal-friendly.


I was sitting toward the back and noticed that there were several members of the carriage industry in the audience who just sat there fussing. None of them had the courage to stand up and be counted. None asked a question.

It was an excellent program and just reinforced why the carriage horse industry should be banned in New York City.

SAVE THE DATE -- PANEL ON CARRIAGE HORSE ISSUE

from the web site of the NYC bar:
Yay or Neigh: Should the carriage horse industry be banned in NYC?

Monday, May 11, 2009 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
42 West 44th Street, NYC
Animal advocates have called for an end to the carriage horse industry, arguing that the congested New York City streets are no place for horses. Supporters claim that horse carriages are a legitimate industry that is vital to tourism. A panel of experts will discuss the proposed ban on horse-drawn carriages and other issues relating to carriage horses.

Moderators:
LORI BARRETT, Deputy County Attorney, Office of the Nassau County Attorney; CHRISTINE MOTT, Christine Mott, Esq.

Speakers:
DR. HOLLY CHEEVER, DVM; ELIZABETH FOREL, President of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages ; DONNY MOSS, Documentary filmmaker, Blinders; MARTHA ROBINSON, Associate General Counsel, NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; STACY WOLF, Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel, Humane Law Enforcement, ASPCA

==================================================================

The Bar Association's Committee on Legal Issues Pertaining to Animals is not an animal rights organization and always tries to present both sides of an issue. So noticeably missing are representatives of the carriage industry and Council opponents of the bill such as David Weprin, John Liu, James Gennaro and David Weprin -- or anyone from the Department of Consumer Affairs. Not sure why Council Member Tony Avella is not listed since he introduced the ground breaking bill to ban the horse drawn carriage industry.

I believe the list of panels is a work in progress, however.

I do hope the opposing council members have the courage to defend their position at this event.