NYC CARRIAGE TRADE SINKS TO NEW LOW

Inappropriate and incendiary  comments on Facebook.

The NYC carriage trade has sunk to a new low and is sadly, desperately and shockingly  exploiting the recent horrific shootings at the Sandy Hook elementary school.  Trying to get their readers to sympathize with them against those who want their exploitative business shut down, the Vice President of the NYC Horse and Carriage Association posted several very incendiary comments on a carriage industry Facebook page that is open to the public.  The comments, which can only be interpreted as a call to action,  began on December 19, 2012.

She posted a picture of a group of activists from another organization and criticized them for being at the hack line demonstrating against the carriage drivers.  The group was actually handing out informational  flyers to the public.   They had posed for a group photo.  If she sincerely felt they should not have been there, then perhaps the drivers should also not have worked out of respect for the people who live in Newtown, CT.   

But we all know that is not what it was about. 

Apparently wanting to stay in the good graces of their leader, her supporters made comments like “I think some people need to get a life; despicable people that lack the sensitivity gene; Inappropriate timing!!!;  lock these nuts up; the same people would say ho-hum if they were shown a picture of an aborted baby;  ignorance knows now [sic] bounds."

But then it started to get really crazy: [names are left out for our protection.] **  

Inappropriate and incendiary  comments on Facebook.

Inappropriate and incendiary  comments on Facebook.

Dangerously making accusations of terrorism 

This is not rational behavior.  

And then she went one step further and alleged in another  post on the same Facebook Page that her  husband took a family with young children for a carriage ride.  And guess where they came from according to this woman?  Newtown.  She goes on about how the families were coming to NYC to take carriage rides to get away from the media presence and how they will instead be met with activists.  

This is part of what she said: 

“Well, if those folks come to NYC and want to treat their children to a carriage ride to brighten their day, there is a good chance they will be accosted by the miserable, vile, despicable, sick maniacs who call themselves "animal rights" people who will be protesting the carriages all weekend and into next week. These folks and their children will be greeted by lunatics waving poster-sized photos of old and rare carriage accidents, dead horses, blood and wreckage.”

And of course, once again her non-thinking fan club comments, agreeing with her.  

"how people can be so vile is beyond me; And I so wish I could come home for a week, hang out with some carriage horses & their people.  I would exercise my rights.  I'd claim I was in fear for my life of the protesters ... I'd open a large can of whoop ass."  

Until one thinking person said:  

But did you think the followers would see that what she said made sense?   No, of course not.  Instead, this is what some said (identifying names left out): 

 "xxx - what you said made no sense - she was saying how worried she is -- shame on you.  [liked 3 times]; XXX you are a complete and total ASSHAT.  The only people capitalizing on Newtown are the bloodthirsty degenerate ghouls in the lame-ass media, with their 24/7 glurge (and shamefully that includes FOX NEWS) and the jugheads like the anti-2nd amendment contingent who are going to try and exploit it to push their Nazi agenda. My only regret is that I cannot reach right through the screen and slap some sense into you.  If that is even possible.  Now feel free to return your head to your ass.  Since that is obviously where it lives; Thanks again, XXX.  (liked 3 times) Then show then show that you have some character and apologize to XXX.; omfg ... what a supreme f**king nasty b**tch .. bite us."  

Charming!

Of course no one speaks to Ms. Thing like that.  This is her reply to the lone dissenter.  Although her original post  uses the "real" vulgar words (no asterisks for her,)  I have added the asterisks because the language is very offensive.  

  

Hey [blocked]  - I don't know who you think you are talking to. You have some F*****G NERVE telling me that I am not sincere - this is a TRUE story, and it is EATING AT MY GUT since I heard it. You're 'aware' of f*****g NOTHING. Shame on YOU for not giving a s**t that kids are ROUTINELY exposed to these LUNATICS and their despicable behavior. As for the video, there are LOTS more, some taken last week -- better yet, why not come up at see for yourself? I don't 'sputter' - I SPEAK, loudly and clearly. And I don't give a s**t if you are 100% pro-carriage or against - people like YOU we don't need.

Psychologists have explained that this kind of behavior is irresponsible.  This is a quote attributed to  David Matsumoto from an article in an academic journal earlier this year.  

"When leaders express a combination of anger, contempt and disgust in their speeches, it seems to be instrumental in inciting a group to act violently," said Matsumoto, professor of psychology of San Francisco State University.  

What do you think? Are these irrational people dangerous?  Should we be concerned?    Many of them have no idea what the NYC carriage trade is about but they will defend it to the end.  They hate anyone who cares about animals.  

** - We have screen shots, including the names of those who posted and have reported this to the appropriate authorities.

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Can They Suffer?

A byproduct of the carriage industry is the killing of pigeons, who scavenge for food in the streets and are run over by the wheels of the carriages. Look at the ground on any given day, and you are likely to see the carnage. 

On a recent day at the hack line, we glanced over and saw this sad sight--a freshly run over pigeon who bled to death on the street. We hope it was a mercifully quick passing. An activist who is a regular at our demos went over to the stricken pigeon and tenderly picked him up,  unconcerned about the blood that dripped onto her gloves and scarf. She took him to a grassy area, near some shrubs, where another dead pigeon lay, perhaps having been pulled out of the street by a passerby. Seeing this, the carriage drivers taunted us, laughing and making crude remarks about trying to run over the pigeons. 

Perhaps the drivers' behavior is a defense mechanism or a grief response--we don't know. What they appear to be trying to tell us, though, is that they have a callous disregard for non-human life forms--a disconnect from other sentient beings. It does not bode well for the horses. A robust body of evidence has shown there is a "toxic triad" of animal cruelty, child abuse, and domestic violence. In other words, violent people generally practiced first on animals. But back to the present moment and the hack line, where the sight of a carriage driver who ignores the suffering of doves raises real questions about how that driver treats his or her horses.

Finally, from a pragmatic standpoint, the sight of crushed and bloodied pigeons--sometimes decapitated--is a terrible image for tourists, including young children. If the enforcement agencies did their jobs and cited drivers for failing to cover their feed pails, some of these casualties might be avoided. 

Pigeons are smart, loyal creatures. Some may know that pigeons served the United States in wartime (Cher Ami's brave dedication to the mission led to the rescue of 194 soldiers in Major Charles Whittlesey's "Lost Battalion.") But let us not make the mistake of equating another animal's intellectual capacity to his right to live or her ability to suffer. As the moral philosopher Jeremy Bentham said, "The question is not, 'Can they reason?' nor, 'Can they talk?' but rather, 'Can they suffer?'"

TIMES SQUARE IS NO PLACE FOR CARRIAGE HORSES

To some Times Square may be the “cross roads” of the world – to horses, it is their worst nightmare.   Domesticating horses never meant to put them to work on the hard unforgiving asphalt surfaces of New York City streets—where their natural instinct to graze  is thwarted because there is no grass.  It was never meant to make them wear blinders to kill their peripheral vision and put  them in an uncompromising position stuck between the shafts of their carriage in an extremely noisy environment – all to make a few bucks for their owner.   It did not mean that it was acceptable to subject these gentle creatures to the loud insanity of Times Square that many native New Yorkers avoid because it is such an awful affront to the senses.  Horses, having such sensitive ears with excellent hearing, are more reactive to loud noises than we are.  I can only imagine that they either go into a meditative trance because they have no choice or become totally dispirited and psychologically broken down.  It is not natural and it is cruel.  

It is amazing that more of the horses on the street do not spook and bolt as Oreo did recently on Central Park South as his driver was making an illegal u-turn.  It begs the question if some of the drivers are not putting cotton into the horses’ ears to prevent them from hearing well in the hope they will not spook and bolt.  After all they wear blinders to affect their peripheral vision – why not earplugs?   This is not unheard of in some horse competitions. 

Horses are allowed to work in Times Square in the evenings until 3:00 am.   Take a look at these pictures and this video.  These horses do not belong on the streets of New York City.  What possible attraction could there be to riding in a carriage on crowded, filthy, smelly streets with bright lights and excessive noise led by a dispirited horse whose vision and probably hearing are impaired?  

Where is our humanity?  How can we continue to allow this inhumane and unsafe business to exist in New York City?   Luckily, many people want it to end – all polls since 2006 have shown that between 75 and 80 percent of respondents want this business to be shut down. 

This is why we support the Avella/Rosenthal bill in the NYS legislature to prohibit the use of horse-drawn carriages in New York City.  

Join with us and sign this petition. 

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STOP THE INSANITY!

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO STOP THE INSANITY?  

 Did you know that the ban of the carriage horse trade is dependent on the success of the "electric cars, " which may never happen and if they do, their fate will be left up to tourists?   

injured driver

What is it going to take to shut down the inhumane and unsafe carriage trade in NYC?  This question is now being asked with new fervor in light of the recent accident involving a spooked horse. 

Human injuries do not seem to matter – be it a broken hip suffered by an elderly bike rider a few years back or more minor scratches and bruises; a driver in a coma for months close to death; injured horses like the recent Oreo or Doreen, Bud and Charlie to name a few – or the dead horses – Tony, Spotty, Jackie, Charlie, Juliette, Smoothie – and these are just the ones that immediately come to mind. 

WHO can end the carriage trade in New York City and why are they not doing anything about it considering that every online poll since 2006 has shown between 75 and 80 percent  of respondents want this business to be shut down?

1. Mayor Michael Bloomberg can use his influence to get such bills passed.  But he supports this business.  Why?  The real truth is anyone’s guess because it simply does not make sense.   His daughter is a world-class equestrian, known to oppose this trade – surely she knows that New York City is a very bad environment for horses and I am sure she would never subject her horses to these conditions.  
2. The Speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, can do the same.  She, too, is a big supporter of the carriage trade.  Why?  It is clearer here because of her allegiance to the Queens Democratic Party, which put her in power.  It is all politics.  But then, Quinn has killed every meaningful animal issues bill that has been in the Council since she became Speaker – so she obviously does not care. 
3. The City Council - The Council is not a democratic body.  For the most part, which means almost always, Council Members  vote the way the Speaker tells them.  If not, they risk losing their committee chairs and lucrative stipends that the Speaker doles out.  Unfortunately, there are virtually no City Council Members with a backbone to stand up to Quinn and say – “Enough is Enough!  Let’s get those horses off the street before someone is killed.” 
4. The State Legislature – there is a real chance here with the bill sponsored by Senator Tony Avella and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal.  The bill is essentially the same as the historic one Senator Avella introduced in the City Council in 2007 when he was a Council Member.  One big problem with this bill is that it needs a Home Rule approval memo from the City Council, which is unlikely to happen.  However, the bill will be reintroduced in January when the State Legislature reconvenes and it will address these issues.  Stay tuned. 
5. A new humane mayor.  Ah there is the rub.  Who will it be?  

Oreo  - victim of accident

On September 23^rd, Senator Tony Avella was interviewed by the Queens Chronicle about the  September 16^th accident in which Oreo, a young carriage horse, spooked on Central Park South from a truck or loud construction noise as his driver was making an illegal u-turn.  He bolted into traffic, dragging his carriage with two tourists, sans driver, behind him, crashing into cars as he panicked.  He was eventually stopped and tranquilized by police.  This  never should have happened.  NYC traffic is an abomination and is no place for such a volatile,  unpredictable and powerful  animal.   

“Enough is enough,” Avella  said. “How many more accidents, injuries and deaths is it going to take before we end this inhumane industry?  

One of the carriage drivers caught on videotape countered with the response ”accidents happen.”  Christina Hansen, spokesperson for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York,  said, "Just because a horse once in a blue moon spooks, doesn’t mean something terrible is going to happen." Fox News 8-17-12.  Many people would beg to differ.  There is no necessity for the carriage horse business to exist and thus, no accidents need occur. 

Horses are nervous prey animals who can spook and bolt at the slightest provocation.  At 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, they become unwitting weapons and can seriously injure or kill themselves or bystanders.  In 2010, a bystander was killed in Saltzburg, Austria  when a spooked horse plowed into her.   She died from head  injuries. 

So why is the City Council not standing up to Christine Quinn and demanding a true ban – instead of trying to pass the destructive electric car bill?    With this bill, a ban of the horses will depend on the success of the electric cars, which are much too expensive and probably will not happen.  They are wasting their time and the time of trusting activists.  At approximately $175,000 per car, the supporters would need to raise $11,900,000 to replace 68 carriages over a three-year period.  This is not realistic.  They apparently have not even been able to raise $400,000 for the prototype.  One scenario, and the worst thing that can happen,  is that they would  only be able to raise a few million dollars for perhaps ten cars.  Investors lose interest and are maxed out because the cars are not catching on.  Why invest in a white elephant?  Then this cruel and unsafe business will never be banned.  The cars will coexist alongside the carriage horses, which is never what any of us wanted.  Accidents will continue to happen. 

And it is all because the ASPCA, PETA,  HSUS and NY Class  will not support and put their collective energy behind a real ban  - i.e. the Avella/Rosenthal bill -  and have convinced some people to support a bill that will be a disaster if passed. What animal organizations are doing with pretending to create a new tourist industry instead of supporting and putting their energy into a full ban is beyond my comprehension. 

And please let’s forget this drivel about keeping tourist dollars.  Most people come to NYC for something other than a ride on a carriage.  When someone pays $50 for a carriage ride, considering it is a cash only business, how much of that is turned over to the government for taxes?  Other than during the holiday season, the carriages often do not have customers.  If NY Class, the creator of this project, wants to sponsor an electric car business, let them do it  - but after the carriage trade is shut down and the horses are safe.  A ban of the horse-drawn carriage trade should not be dependent on the success of the electric cars.  

Jobs?  The carriage drivers will not drive the electric cars because they are opposed to this new industry.   So even if the cars happen, the hired drivers will come from another job pool.  It is not a  “win/win” as the supporters like to promote.  It will not save those particular jobs. 

And about those particular jobs?  The  drivers have been put on notice for many years that something like this would happen.  How much longer are legislators going to allow them to hold NYC hostage?  And how much longer are people who want a ban going to let the City Council get away with inaction?  There are only about 150 people in the business who are full time.  Why is the City Council making such a big deal about this?   Other people lose their jobs and no one is crying about them – including government workers, corporate workers, and those who work in stores that have shut down because of high rents or neighborhood gentrification.  Why is this trade so entitled?  That said – Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal has said she will work with the drivers to find them new employment.  And the good news is that jobs in the tourist sector have grown.  

Read what Councilmember Vincent Gentile says about the cars in an interview he gave to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle on August 22 in an article entitled. Gentile works on horse carriage compromise.  

 - Gentile said that while he has respect for animal rights advocates, he is also aware of the importance of carriage horses to the city’s tourist industry, an industry that brings in millions of dollars a year.   

Because carriage driving is a cash only business, Council Member Gentile has no idea how much the carriage trade brings in and should not be making these kinds of statements without providing proof.  Other than during the holiday season in November and December, the carriages are often seen lined up with no passengers and bored horses.  

 - “It’s a tourist attraction, so we have to be careful. You want to protect the carriage horses and you want to protect the jobs of the people who operate the carriage horses,” he said.

Why is the City being held a prisoner to this business?  Unless this tie is broken, there will never be any progress.  Why is it so necessary to protect these jobs and not those of so many other people who have lost their jobs in this economy?  

And this from the article:

Under the pilot program, the carriage horses would co-exist with electric-powered cars, Gentile said. Tourists would be given a choice of whether they would want to ride around Central Park and midtown in a quiet car, or a horse-drawn carriage.

“And we would let the public decide which is better,” the councilman said.

This is the kicker and the reason why this bill is dangerous and should not be supported! Why should the public – tourists who may never come back to NYC – decide about the safety of New Yorkers and the future of the carriage horses?  This is a frightening and absurd statement! 

The carriage horse business has proven itself to be very unsafe and must be shut down.  What is the City Council waiting for – a death?  Will that even make them stand up and take real action? 

Since more and more people have become aware of our organization, which started the ban campaign in 2006, we have been hearing from people about carriage horse accidents.  In the last year there have been about 11 incidents in NYC that we let the press know about.  The drivers are not required to report accidents – such as spooked horses or being clipped by a car – and the ASPCA ‘s Humane Law Enforcement division is not subject to the Freedom of Information Law.  They have knowledge of many more accidents but refuse to make the information public.  

The only bill worthy of support to shut down this anachronistic business and save the horses is the one in Albany sponsored by Senator Tony Avella and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal. – S5013/A7748.  It will be reintroduced in January and will address concerns about Home Rule.  

In the meantime, please sign our petition on Change.org in support of this bill.  E-mails will automatically be sent to state legislators.   

  

And please disabuse yourself of the idea that Intro 86A, the bill necessary to pass to create the electric cars, will help the carriage horses.  There is a great possibility it will hurt the horses in the long run. 

Let’s shut down the carriage business first.   

Save the horses – and if “they” still want to go through with the electric cars – I say “knock yourself out.” 

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The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages started the "ban campaign" in 2006.  We are all grass roots activists with no paid employees.  Our sole concern is to shut down the carriage trade and save the horses.  Visit us at www.banhdc.org; e-mail us for our newsletter at coalition@banhdc.org and join our Facebook page by clicking here.  

MUCH TOO HOT TO TROT

 NYC Carriage Horses Suffer From the Heat

NYC carriage drivers love their horses?    You be the judge.

This has been a very hot summer with many days well into the 90s with  high humidity.

The two videos linked below were taken on the same day, August 4, 2012,  by two different people and of different horses.   It never reached  90 degrees on the hack line that day, which is the temperature at which the ASPCA officers can suspend the line and order the drivers to return their horses to the stables.  Humidity is not a consideration.

But that Saturday was  very humid and the heat index was 97 according to weather.com.  It was a steam bath.  Very uncomfortable and hard to breath for humans and just as difficult, if not more so, for the horses. 

The first video called NYC Carriage Horse Exhausted  shows a carriage horse at the hack line on Central Park South  breathing hard - he is essentially panting.  His respiration rate is about 100 breaths a minute.  The normal respiration  resting rate for a horse should be 18 to 16 breaths per minute according to AgriLife Extension - Texas A&M System.  They also state that the rate for a fit horse who has been exercising should be reduced to  40 or 50 breaths per minute within 10 or 15 minutes.  The person who took this video had been watching for some time - more than 10 minutes.

The Horse.com also has an informative article about breathing rates.  Watch the video within this article -- How to Take Your Horse's Vital Signs.   As a bystander, it is very possible to check the breathing rate of carriage horses. 


On the video, when asked  how many hours the horses have to work to get a break, the driver answered "seven hours."   Actually the law requires a 15 minute break every two hours, which is on paper only since it is impossible to enforce.   If the driver meant that the horses work seven hours a day, that is also incorrect.  Legally, horses may work nine hours a day, seven days a week. 

The second video called Heat Stress was also taken on Central Park South.  This horse, too, was breathing hard.  Notice his ribs showing and the metal check rein, which prevents him from lowering his head.

In June, 2007, the NYC Comptroller's Office published an  audit of the Department of Health and Department of Consumer Affair's oversight of the carriage trade. This was one of their findings on p. 11: 

"During the summer months, the asphalt where the horses line up becomes very hot.  Other materials, such as concrete,  would be easier on the horses' hooves.  In addition, on hot days, there is little shade for the horses, which could cause them to overheat." 

Nothing was ever done about it.   

It seems to me that if someone really cared about their horse, they would not subject them to this kind of abuse -- working in very hot and humid weather for hours on end.


Every time the carriage trade defends something like this, they drive the nail further into their communal coffin.

It is all about money.  Welcome to New York, kids.  Welcome to New York. 

$$$

Go Eat Some Horsemeat

“Eat a slice of  horse meat. Don’t you see how skinny you are?”  said an Italian carriage driver in Rome to an activist protesting his trade.     

New York City is only one of the many cities where campaigns are escalating against the use of the inhumane and unsafe horse-drawn carriages for tourism.  Most recently there have been accidents in Victoria,  British Columbia; Mumbai, India,  Buenos Aires, Argentina, Galveston, TX, Philadelphia, PA and Atlanta, GA where a horse collapsed.   Rome also has its share of problems.  On Friday, July 27th, a horse collapsed from the heat near the Piazza di Spagna - Spanish Steps.  It was 104 degrees and very humid.  The drivers are not supposed to work in the hot and humid afternoons but ignore the law, similar to NYC.

On August 4, 2012, La Repubblica, one of Romes biggest newspapers,  reported on a riot involving activists and carriage drivers.  An English translation is below:

Click here for the photos 

Click here for the first video

and here for the second video

Please let's all remember that horses are sensitive animals.  Like people, they do not like yelling, negative energy and stressful conditions.  Stuck between the shafts of their carriages, they are captive victims.  They can't go anywhere. 

Translation: 

Horse-Drawn Carriages, Violent Fighting Breaks Out Between Carriage Drivers and Animalisti in Piazza di Spagna

by Federica Angeli and Maria Gabriella Lanza

A demo protesting the exploitation of horses in downtown Rome ended up in a huge brawl waged  with pipes and bottles. Five people were injured and three were arrested. The police stepped in   just in the nick of time to prevent more serious consequences.

A huge brawl broke out in Piazza di Spagna: carriage-drivers vs. animal advocates. The battle was waged with pipes, sticks, and bottles and carried out by pushing, shoving, and punching. Luckily, the Carabinieri and city cops were on duty – otherwise the damage would have been even greater.

The event ended with five injured and three handcuffed and arrested. Although charges for instigating a brawl might conceivably be reduced when the case comes to court, the battle in Piazza di Spagna, filled with tourists and passersby eager to capture the scene on camera, will be remembered for a long time to come.

It all started with a surprise raid by animal advocates in downtown Rome. There were six carriages waiting for fares in the middle of Piazza di Spagna when a group of about thirty animalisti erupted in the square. Leading the group was Stefano Fuccelli, president of the PAE (the European Animal Rights Party). Bearing thermometers, the protesters measured air temperatures (a city ordinance states that horses can circulate in the city if the temperature is below 34 C or 93 F) and inspected the horses’ conditions. It didn’t take long for a fight to break out. Antonio Celli, one of the senior drivers, gave his advice to PAE national coordinator, Enrico Rizzi: “Eat a slice of  horse meat.. Don’t you see how skinny you are?” In a jiffy, the verbal exchange went physical. The result was an incredible brawl, which ended with five injured and three arrests.

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--
Elizabeth Forel
Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages
Horses Without Carriages International

No Walk in the Park - Facebook

BanHDCarriages - Twitter 

you can't defeat an idea whose time has come

A FLY ON THE WALL

The inner workings of the {{{{ brains }}}}  of the NYC carriage drivers and their supporters.    

A playbook for a pro carriage horse trade campaign 

famous controversial driver giving the finger to activists

The NYC carriage trade was recently shaken up by a scandal involving a driver yelling homophobic, racist and sexist remarks to activists who were handing out literature against the carriage trade – it was captured on YouTube and in the media.     

Instead of taking total responsibility for this outrage, the carriage trade went on the defensive,   essentially saying that the activists deserved this because the driver was provoked.  They got someone at Rupert Murdoch’s NY Post to write a piece against the activists - again missing the point.  

But they never took responsibility for their bad behavior.  

Entering into the drama is  Chronicles of the Horse or COTH,  an open forum in which many carriage trade supporters participate.  The thread referenced here is called  Headsup---What will happen to the NY carriage horses?   This link comes through on Google Alerts for all to see. 

The discussion  quickly morphed into  “what does one do with these awful people; these RARAS (radical animal rights activists); these extremists?”    

 

horse very close to taxi in heavy traffic

Like the bullies they are, all of these COTH folks hide behind their true identities with made up screen names, making outrageous accusations about us; telling lie after lie that they want desperately to believe.  They listen to the NYC Carriage Queen, (screen name) MichaleenFlynn, who gives them their marching orders with the current threat that NYC activists are targeting the entire world.  We want to put an end to all working animals and rid the world of all animals, including cats and dogs.  For the record -- the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriage is opposed to urban carriage horse businesses - like NYC, Rome, Atlanta, Charleston, Savannah - and so on.  This is our campaign.  Period.  

They delight in calling us “fanatics, rabid animal rights extremists, nut jobs, fruit bats and  loons“  They say things like “They're fanatics. There's little difference between them and people who fly planes into buildings.  They walk a fine line between activist and terrorist.”   

This is the extent of their argument.  It is never substantive.   They only deal with hyperbole. 

All of the comments below are copied and pasted from this forum.

One of the participants,  LauraKY from Kentucky,  said about the carriage association’s stance on this incidence,    “BTW, when an apology is followed by but or however, it's not an apology. You guys really need to work on your PR. You should have thrown him under the bus.”

Sounds reasonable?  Well we’ll get back to Laura in a minute.  She is preparing the playbook.   But in the meantime, these COTH members really believe the trade does not have the money to hire PR consultants.  The truth is that the carriage trade spends thousands on lobbyists each year and has hired PR consultants in the past.  They have money.  Believe it.  They are a cash only business. 

Lynwood, another participant,  actually believes this: “The horses are available for 24 hr inspection by the ASPCA , the Department of Parks , and the other multiple agencies that over see them.” 

Huh – not in my New York City.  The ASPCA is volunteer only and has only 14 agents for all of NYC and state.    The laws are either badly enforced or are inadequate.  24 hours?  Yes perhaps in her imagination.  . 

And this in response to criticism that activists use video cameras … “ …  the drivers are not filming because they are DRIVING. They are attempting to make a living around a group of close minded people hurtling insults and badgering their business away using false words like "abuse". "

News flash to Lynwood -- the drivers not only film but read and text while driving.   The Department of Health tried to stop this in 2010 with new proposed regulations.  The carriage trade intervened and the regulations were rescinded. 

And back to LauraKY who gives PR tips for the world to see.  My favorite is this one. 

  

“And while they're doing that they need to dig up any piece of dirt on the RARAs they can and make sure it gets publicity...make it personal, I'm talking about dirt on individuals, you want to discredit them...without letting them know they are behind it. Take a look at politics, that's all this is. That's how it's done. Pure negative campaigning rarely wins in the end.”

Really nasty stuff there, Ms. Laura.  This tells us a lot about you and the carriage trade.  This is why the world is in the state it's in. 

AlternetReality  says  about the drivers “They are threatened with sabotage and poison. Their homes are at risk, their families have been threatened by raras, and yet they have some of the best cared-for, nicest horses in the world, doing a job with horses in a city built by horses, carrying forward a tradition and trade over 5000 years old.

Frankly, if someone sat there berating me with lies, insults, and threats for as long they have, and using lies to smear my name and my career, I'd have lost my temper years ago and probably started swinging fists over it.”

 

Holy Molys,  Alternet – you really are in an altered reality.  Threats of sabotage?; threats of poison?  …  Invectives and comments - yes  – but in response to the drivers' nasty words    – but never threats.  And if you think for a minute that the carriage drivers do not do much of the provoking, then your choice of a screen name is quite accurate.  5,000 years?  Are you kidding?  Before Christ?  The carriage tourist trade only goes back to the late 1940s in NYC.  As  for the best cared for horses?  I would not be so quick to say that.  You are not here to witness the accidents – many of which are captured by random eyewitnesses; or the brutal force some of the drivers use on their horses when they pull them by the bit, or the fact that many get sent to auction or otherwise “disappear;” or the fact that many of the drivers violate the law by overloading and working when it is over 90 degrees. 

Then Goneriding 24 escalated this thread by saying   “Why isn't threatening murder and hurting families not hate speech? “  Threatening murder?!   Is she mad??  Who is threatening murder?!  Good grief.  These people have a bizarre imagination. 

Not to be left out of providing scenarios for PR, Alternet  also suggested this:   “...hire two actors (dressed as seniors from out of town...or on their honeymoon) and make sure one of the RaRa's who is hurling insults at them is close enough for a senior (the old gal) to take a swipe with her purse...make sure you have your cameras ready...THAT will make the news...and give it another kick start.  You want a u tube to go viral...against the rara's." 

 Some people have suggested that if I expose this, they will go undercover and we will no longer be able to witness their lunacy.    Whatever.  We know what they are like. 

And we'll continue to fight the good fight. 

In the meantime,  this Playbook is available for all to see.  Enjoy.  

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OUT OF CONTROL: NYC CARRIAGE DRIVERS

CARRIAGE DRIVERS THUMB  THEIR NOSE  AT THE LAWS

overloaded - with five adults + one next to driver

NYC is currently experiencing beautiful weather - moderate temperatures and low humidity.  But for how long?  Fingers and hooves crossed!  We have just moved out of an unbearable heat wave with hot and humid weather.  Not even halfway through the summer and we’ve already experienced many uncomfortable  days well into the 90s   -  tough for humans -  but much worse for NYC’s carriage horses who have no voice and no choice.  Studies show that horses feel the heat more than humans.   Because they cool themselves by sweating, less moisture will evaporate when it is very humid, causing them to become more susceptible to the negative effects of heat stress.   

Carriage horses are protected to a degree by a NYC law that requires drivers to take them back to their stable when it reaches 90 degrees – humidity not included.  But here’s the rub. 

This law can only be enforced by an ASPCA officer who uses a special thermometer to take the temperature.   The ASPCA has 14 agents  and if one is not on site to take the temperature, the drivers can legally go about their business.  This happens often enough.  So it is not about the CNN thermometer at Columbus Circle or someone’s iPhone reading or a Parks Department employee who wants to do the right thing.  Those do not matter.  

To make matters worse, it is generally 45 minutes to one hour after a suspension when the horses get back to the stables; traveling up to two miles over hot asphalt under the burning sun.  There is no provision in the law that describes how a suspension is lifted, so many of the drivers eventually come out on their own when it is still over 90 degrees. 

NYC horse-drawn carriage drivers have been out of control this summer and breaking the law with abandon.  No one is cracking the whip on them and it has taken random eyewitnesses to document these abuses.  

During the recent heat wave at the end of June going into July, drivers were seen overloading their carriages and working after the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officer had suspended them.  Yes – if the law can be violated, it will be.  A maximum of four adults are allowed in a carriage or a combination of fewer adults and children.  A passenger is not allowed to sit in the driver’s seat.  But it is not considered a violation unless an ASPCA officer sees it and issues a ticket.

On July 5th, an eyewitness to this overloading saw a carriage with six passengers - one adult sitting next to the driver as shown in the photo and the carriage filled with five people. 

Another eye witness captured a similar violation of the law on July 4^th with a carriage  carrying  five adults.  

On June 29^th and June 30^th,  these videos show carriages continuing to take passengers after the line was suspended because of temperature.  

Then later on July 5^th, several carriages continue to hang around trying to get passengers after the ASPCA suspended the hack line.  A few at the beginning of the video continued to take passengers.  Some of the others, aware of the filming, went back to the stable.  Two carriages  took passengers after the line was suspended. 

The next video, taken on July 8^th shows many carriages on the hack line when it was 90 degrees.  But remember, only the ASPCA officer can enforce this law and they were not there.  One of the eyewitnesses had to call the ASPCA three times before an officer  finally came out to enforce the law.     

Another common practice is that of carriage drivers using hand-held devices or reading while driving their carriage through city traffic.  This video is  just one example.  New drivers are now required to have a New York State Driver license so texting should be a violation.  In 2010, the Department of Health made suggestions to revise their existing regulations and included putting a ban on hand-held devices; reading, filming and otherwise not paying attention while driving.  The suggestions were eventually rescinded. 

There are 68 carriages in operation and that many can be working on any given day.  The drivers ply their trade in and around Central Park and later in the Times Square area.  Many will disregard the laws if they feel they can get away with it.   And because there is little enforcement of these inadequate laws, they often do.  

 

Every media poll that has been taken since 2006 has shown between 75 and 80% of respondents favoring a ban on horse-drawn carriages in New York City.  The people will not give up until this business goes the way of gas lamps and the horses are retired to  sanctuaries or good homes.

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OUT OF CONTROL:
CARRIAGE DRIVERS THUMB THEIR NOSE AT THE LAWS

For a few days anyway, NYC is experiencing good weather -- a far cry from the recent heat waves with hot, humid and unbearable weather.  Not even halfway through the summer and we’ve already experienced many uncomfortable  days well into the 90s   -  tough for humans -  but much worse for NYC’s carriage horses who have no voice and no choice.  Studies show that horses feel the heat more than humans.   Because they cool themselves by sweating, less moisture will evaporate when it is very humid, causing them to become more susceptible to the negative effects of heat stress.   

Carriage horses are protected to a degree by a NYC law that requires drivers to take them back to their stable when it reaches 90 degrees – humidity not included.  But here’s the rub. 

This law can only be enforced by an ASPCA officer who uses a special thermometer to take the temperature.   The ASPCA has 14 agents  and if one is not on site to take the temperature, the drivers can legally go about their business.  This happens often enough.  So it is not about the CNN thermometer at Columbus Circle or someone’s iPhone reading or a Parks Department employee who wants to do the right thing.  Those do not matter.  

To make matters worse, it is generally 45 minutes to one hour after a suspension when the horses get back to the stables; traveling up to two miles over hot asphalt under the burning sun.  There is no provision in the law that describes how a suspension is lifted, so many of the drivers eventually come out on their own when it is still over 90 degrees.   

NYC horse-drawn carriage drivers have been out of control this summer and breaking the law with abandon.  No one is cracking the whip on them and it has taken random eyewitnesses to document these abuses.  

During the recent heat wave at the end of June going into July, drivers were seen overloading their carriages and working after the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officer had suspended them.  Yes – if the law can be violated, it will be.  A maximum of four adults are allowed in a carriage or a combination of fewer adults and children.  A passenger is not allowed to sit in the driver’s seat.  But it is not considered a violation unless an ASPCA officer sees it and issues a ticket. 
To make matters worse, it is generally 45 minutes to one hour after a suspension when the horses get back to the stables; traveling up to two miles over hot asphalt under the burning sun.  There is no provision in the law that describes how a suspension is lifted, so many of the drivers eventually come out on their own when it is still over 90 degrees. 

NYC horse-drawn carriage drivers have been out of control this summer and breaking the law with abandon.  No one is cracking the whip on them and it has taken random eyewitnesses to document these abuses.  

During the recent heat wave at the end of June going into July, drivers were seen overloading their carriages and working after the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officer had suspended them.  Yes – if the law can be violated, it will be.  A maximum of four adults are allowed in a carriage or a combination of fewer adults and children.  A passenger is not allowed to sit in the driver’s seat.  But it is not considered a violation unless an ASPCA officer sees it and issues a ticket.

On July 5th, an eyewitness to this overloading saw carriage a carriage  with six passengers - one adult sitting next to the driver as shown in the photo and the carriage filled with five people.  

Another eye witness captured a similar violation of the law on July 4th with another carriage carrying  five adults. 

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE HORSES?

"What will happen to the horses if there is a ban? Won't they go to slaughter?"

This very real concern has been addressed many times in our newsletter Horse Sense, our web site http://www.banhdc.org/,   in an article I wrote for One Green Planet, in the original Avella New York City Council bill that we helped draft and the current Avella/Rosenthal bill in the New York State legislature that would ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC.   

photo by Mary Culpepper

This is the most common question we have been asked since the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages began the campaign to ban the New York City carriage trade in 2006.  

Yet, we still get these questions.

HORSES ARE NOT A BILLBOARD: The question appears to be a knee-jerk reaction to scare tactics put out by the carriage trade  mixed with a genuine concern for the horses. People seem to make the assumption that the horse population they see in Central Park or on the streets of NYC is stagnant - like a billboard - never changing; that if there is a ban all the horses will go to slaughter. But the reality is that there is a huge turnover of horses in the business now – something that has been determined from analyzing Department of Health horse lists since 2005.

In one year, the average turnover is between 60 and 70 horses. This means that this number of horses were listed in the Department of Health horse registry for a particular year and not listed the following year. Where did all of these horses go?

THE REAL HIDDEN PROBLEM: Horses sold outside of NYC (most are) currently have no protection under the law. Records are not required to be sent to the Department of Health so it is not known where the horses end up. It is very possible many are brought to auction since that is the easiest and fastest way to recoup the cost of the horse and purchase a new one. Kill buyers frequent auctions such as New Holland in Pennsylvania, which is only a few hours from NYC.

The question people should be asking is - What is happening to the horses NOW?. -- Not what will happen to the horses if there is a ban. The fate of all of those horses currently lies in the hands of the owners.

A ban seems unlikely under the present administration of Bloomberg/Quinn. In an attempt to address this problem and make the owners accountable for their horses, the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages requested that a new bill be introduced into the City Council in September 2011 that would address the humane disposition of carriage horses. Sponsored by Council Member Melissa Mark Viverito, a press conference was scheduled for September 20th at noon to talk about this bill - Intro 670. The night before I received a call from Viverito’s office telling me that it was canceled by Speaker Christine Quinn.  
Viverito excused it by saying that she needed to concentrate on the electric car bill, which continues to go nowhere fast. I suspect that Quinn shut down the press conference because she did not want me using the “S” word – "SLAUGHTER"  and Viverito went along with her decision. What better way to kill a bill than to have its prime sponsor refuse to support it. This was shameful! Horse slaughter is a very real problem in the United States. In 2011, 133, 241 US horses were slaughtered.   

The carriage owners ply their trade on the streets of NYC, one of the great tourist cities of the world. In exchange for this opportunity, they must obey the laws governing this business. But the laws are inadequate and need to be extended to protect their horses – the ones they use up at the rate of 60-70 a year. They say the horses are privately owned and the government does not have the right to dictate how to “dispose” of them. Sorry guys - but you are too late with this argument. The law already addresses this issue - although inadequately - by requiring that the horses be disposed of in a “humane manner.” We are simply expanding on this requirement. Besides, taking a horse to auction frequented by kill buyers is not humane. Our bill - and the language in the current State bill – elaborates on this by requiring that the horses be adopted to a good home or sanctuary. 

The horses continue to fall off the rolls and none of the politicians care. If they did, they would address this issue. They continue to prop up the Council Speaker catering to her every whim.   

WHAT YOU CAN DO: You can call your Council Member and ask them to actively support Intro 670. Their contact information can be found here. If you live outside NYC, contact Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Calls are much more effective than e-mails. 

NYC IS GETTING A NEW MAYOR: The mayoral election is in November 2013. The primary will be in either June or September of 2013. Stay tuned. Contact us at coalition@banhdc.org to get our newsletter to stay informed on this very important issue.

For years NYC has been cheated by the gods getting mayors whose attributes do not include compassion. Is it Karma? Who knows! The number of people voting has dropped significantly in the November elections and the primaries. Only 29% of registered voters cast their ballot in the 2009 mayoral election compared with about 45% across the United States and over 50% in the balance of New York State. This is an interesting report about voting in NYC.

What is going on? Why are people not interested? Is it because the current leaders do not address their concerns and they feel that their vote does not matter?   

Whatever the answer to that is, we need to be on top of this issue, pay attention and not jump on the most convenient bandwagon. Your vote does matter as long as it is cast for a good candidate who has a backbone, intelligence and compassion.

The mayoral race is still open and no one has risen to the top yet. Your choice of mayor in 2013 can have everything to do with whether NYC becomes a humane and compassionate city with respect for people and animals and whether the inhumane horse-drawn carriage trade becomes a thing of the past.
 
Please share with everyone you know.

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