THE UNWANTED HORSE COALITION & THE CARRIAGE TRADE ... WAIT. WHAT!!!

IT JUST GETS CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER ... 

the Unwanted Horse Coalition and 

the Horse Carriage Trade

Livestock News recently reported that Palmetto Carriage Works in Charleston, South Carolina, and the Retired Racehorse Project have both joined the Unwanted Horse Coalition.  

Retired Racehorse Project, Palmetto Carriage Works Join Unwanted Horse Coalition.

This is a very curious development indeed since the Unwanted Horse Coalition supports horse slaughter so it is not surprising that a livestock publication would break the news.  We wonder about this new alliance.  

Palmetto is one of the carriage companies that works out of hot and humid Charleston and uses wagons with one horse pulling 17 people. 

Carriage horse companies want the public  to believe they love their horses and treat them like family members.  Revealing where the horses end up  when no longer wanted is not something that is made public.

 NYC:  In NYC, between 60 and 70 horses turn over (leave the business) in a year.    My 7 1/2 year study, published in 2013,  documents this.  Because horses are privately owned, there is no paper trail available to the public to track where they went.    We do not know if a horse was retired to a nice home; sold to another business; or ended up at a kill auction where he was purchased by a kill buyer to fulfill his quota for the slaughter houses.  

The latter is exactly what happened to Bobby II Freedom in 2010.  A NYC carriage horse at the time, he was deemed too old by his owner and brought to the New Holland livestock auction where he was purchased by a kill buyer.  Hoping to get more money than the "by the pound" rate offered by the slaughter houses, the dealer put Bobby up for adoption for a few days.  Luckily I found him on Friday, June 25th the day before he was scheduled to return to the kill pen.    Bobby is currently living a wonderful life at Equine Advocates Sanctuary where he is much loved.  The NY Times wrote about his rescue.  

Bobby II Freedom - the one who got away. 

 
This was a great embarrassment to the industry and we never again learned of another carriage horse horse ending up at the auctions.  They became more careful.  The horses were still moved out when no longer able to work, but the way it was done was more surreptitious.   We suspect that owners do not take their horses directly to auction but instead launder them through Amish farmers who may work the horse for several months before bringing him to auction for sale.  This way, their participation at the auctions is minimal.  We also believe that the 4-digit engraved hoof number that allowed us to identify Bobby is sanded down so it is not identifiable. 

UNWANTED HORSE COALITION:  We wonder why this Charleston carriage horse company felt the need to join up with an organization that defends and advocates for horse slaughter. 

The Unwanted Horse Coalition is part of the Animal Welfare Council, an intentionally misleading name.  This article from their web site is very telling in their position about horse slaughter and animal rights activists. 

Back Door Route to Blocking Processing of Horses in the U.S. 

Please read it thoroughly.  It is very revealing and informative but it is also full of lies - such as "There is nothing that makes horses different than any other livestock animal."  This is fundamentally false since horses are not raised for human consumption and are often treated with a myriad of drugs, many of them known carcinogens. 

The "back door route" referred to in the title of this piece was put into place by Vice President Joe Biden in 2014 at the urging of anti-horse slaughter activists because they knew it was virtually impossible to get Congress - with all their special interests -  to pass a ban on horse slaughter.  There was great concern that profitable horse slaughter plants would once again open in the US.  This initiative removed funding for horse meat inspectors, thus accomplishing the same goal -- no horse slaughter plants. 

But look at what the Animal Welfare Council says about this:

The United States slaughters and exports beef, pork, and chicken, all of which are killed humanely under regulated inspection, but [consuming] horse meat—which is consumed by the majority of world cultures including our closest neighbors in Canada, Iceland, Mexico, and South America; which appears on the menus of the finest restaurants in Europe; and which is purveyed in grocery stores right alongside the other meats all over Asia and Polynesia—would be a felony for Americans. Horse meat was widely consumed in the United States and Britain until the late 1940s….

While we oppose the consumption of all animals and do not think one deserves more compassion than the other, it must be pointed out that horses are shot full of drugs that are very harmful to humans,  and unlike cows, chickens and pigs are not specifically raised for human consumption.   Besides, slaughter of these "food" animals is  bad enough -- why make it worse by adding another animal to the mix.  Where do we stop?  Are cats and dogs next?  

Please sign up for e-mail alerts from both the Equine Welfare Alliance and Equine Advocates on horse welfare issues.  
 
EQUINE WELFARE ALLIANCE 

This is a recent press release issued by the Equine Welfare Alliance.
 "House Leadership Renews Push to Reinstate Horse Slaughter in the US" - dated March 8, 2017.



EQUINE ADVOCATES

About chemicals in horse meat...

From the Food and Toxicology Journal -- a public health risk - Ann Marini 

Horse meat scandal - Vickery Eckhoff


There is very real concern that the Trump administration is heading in the direction of opening up horse slaughter facilities once again. Please stay informed about this issue and be ready to take action.

###

BASED ON A LIE: THE FAILURE OF THE HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE BAN

BASED ON A LIE 

 "If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth" --  a profound and disturbing quote attributed to Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Propaganda Minister in Nazi Germany,  but also to Vladimir Lenin, founder of the  Russian Communist party.

This is exactly what happened with the defeat of the campaign to ban the inhumane and archaic horse-drawn carriage trade in NYC,  something that any caring, civilized people would have done long ago.   It is unmanageable  and an ongoing embarrassment to the city.  

Those who wanted to defeat the horse-drawn carriage ban included the self-serving Teamsters and other unions, carriage owners and drivers, many politicians – and the media – mostly the NY Daily News – all with their own reasons – but getting behind the real truth had nothing to do with it.   

 NYC horse collapses - Sept. 2, 2016

Loss of Good Union Jobs:  The main lie was that the shuttering of this trade would cause a loss of “good union jobs.”  That claim was not only not questioned by many Council Members but was used to make their case to people who believe everything they read.   They wanted union support when they came up for reelection.  Truth be damned. 

Stable Land:  The second lie was that the real estate developers were lusting over the stable land so they could make lots of money putting up luxury apartment buildings. 

Both of these lies resonated with people – job loss and unfairness by the real estate industry – David and Goliath.  But to those of us who know the truth it just confirmed that too many people believe what they read and hear and do not exercise critical thinking.  Other lies did not quite catch on as well but served as the cake icing to support the big lies – the number of horses who have died while working in the trade; horses would go to slaughter; the age of the industry to make it appear iconic; exaggerated size of stalls; horse vacations;  industry regulated by several city agencies with pages and pages of regulations; highly exaggerated financial contribution to the economy; safety being a non-issue.  Start with one lie – and if it catches on and the chumps buy it, then the sky’s the limit. 

I have written about this many times in my blogs – challenging the media – especially the NY Daily News for perpetuating lie after lie to ensure that the carriage industry remains in NYC.   It has now been ten months since the failure of the ill-conceived bill that foolishly proposed building stables in Central Park but it seems that this phony issue is still rearing its ugly head. 

Back on the Scene:  Now re-enter head of the Transport Workers Union, John Samuelsen.  In an October 23, 2016 op-ed piece in the NY Daily News he gratuitously attacked Mayor deBlasio whose administration once again turned the other cheek and did not fight back.    “Transport union boss rips Mayor deBlasio for ignoring everyday New Yorkers, warns labor leaders to rethink supporting him in next election.” 

Samuelsen did a good deed last January when he came to the defense of the pedicab drivers who were being shafted by the City via the proposed legislation – but they never unionized so one wonders if this ploy was just to get attention.   He obviously has his own ax to grind with the mayor – and I say – have at it – but not on the backs of the horses please, promoting lies.  Does Mr. Samuelson have so little respect for his supporters that he will lie to make a point? 

This is from the Daily News article and I have highlighted the lies with my comments below challenging them. 

“Real estate interests, meanwhile, for years have been drooling over the West Side properties where the popular horse carriage drivers stable their beloved animals. Giving tourists rides through Central Park is a pretty good union job. It has allowed many men and women to put food on the table, and put their children through college.

What did de Blasio do? He repeatedly tried to prohibit carriage rides in the city and wipe out hundreds of jobs. That would have set the stage for real estate barons to finally buy the properties and put up more skyscrapers that 99% of New Yorkers can't even afford.

In seeking the ban, the mayor claimed he was concerned about the horses' health and welfare. Another crock. He never even bothered to actually visit the stables. And as the New York Daily News reported, independent experts said horses are "healthy, happy and well cared for."

As one veterinarian said in The News: "These horses are being treated with pride and compassion, often by their individual owners/drivers.  It never was about the horses. It was about Bill and his campaign donors and proxy attack dogs in the real-estate industry. The mayor clearly sided with the ultra-rich real estate industry (aka his campaign donors) over the trade union movement and all workers.”

Whoa:  This has been very successful propaganda.  Babes in the woods, de Blasio and his administration did not stand a chance.    De Blasio was never adequately prepared about the carriage horse issue and either would or could not challenge the lies coming from the unions, Council Members and the media.  He did not even know the language of the original bill, talking about the electric cars in a question and answer event in the Mid West.   He, like most Democratic politicians, are beholden to the unions.    

Why:  Why was the NY Daily News out to get him – obviously using this issue as a metaphor for something else.   Perhaps it was because they never wanted him to be Mayor.   

Unions, on the other hand,  are losing membership throughout the country.   By taking this issue on,  lying about the good union jobs – and winning – it was hoped to elevate their status. 

Construction Union Jobs:  The far west side is part of massive new construction to gentrify the area.  To even suggest that real estate developers are drooling over the paltry stable property is embarrassing.  These are relatively small plots, which could bring the owners at least $10 million for each one if they decided to sell, which is their choice and not a land grab as some has suggested.  

Hudson Yards is the biggest development project in the city since Rockefeller Center was built in the 1930s, translating into hundreds of union jobs.  New construction may well grow up around the stables, leaving the stable owners with devalued property.   The ultimate joke will be on them. 

The irony over this silly dishonest claim is that new construction brings UNION JOBS.  Mr. Samuelson and his Teamster friends are being disingenuous. Unions have benefited greatly by the growth of construction all over the city, but particularly Hudson Yards and the adjacent areas.  The construction jobs in Hudson Yards has been a windfall for the unions.  

Good Union Jobs for carriage drivers?   No way.  Of the approximately 244 carriage-driving licenses, only about 120 drivers belong to the Teamster local.  Without total participation, it is not a “union shop” and there are no benefits.  This means no medical, sick or vacation days – and certainly no 401ks to save for retirement.  So to even hint that this is a good union job compared to what the MTA workers have is insulting to all of us – not the least to loyal union members.   This ploy was to bring down Mayor de Blasio and he was not astute enough to fight back.  It also propped up the owners of the 68 medallions, most of whom pay little in city income taxes because of their extensive deductions in a cash only business. 

As for those “independent” experts who claim the horses live a great life – name them please with all of their affiliations.  We do know that the “study” that showed how calm city horses are was paid for by the carriage trade and only tested on a handful of horses.  

 NOT a good union job. 

 About unions:  I generally support unions – they helped create the middle class.  But this is not about the value of unions - it is about the ethics and morality of lying to get your way, which must be indefensible in a civilized, democratic society.   The truth is that unions are in deep trouble all over the United States.  But lying to get attention will not ultimately help. 

Yes, I have had the "audacity" to criticize the unions here - but please – no death threats.  It has happened before.  Vicious comments on the blog - anonymous or not - will be deleted and/or reported.  You will not get your 15 minutes of fame on my dime.

This is a link to the accident record we have kept.  It does not include the “accident’ that occurred on Labor Day weekend, pictured above,  when a driver forced his horse to make a turn and the horse collapsed. 

###

Former Horse Carriage Owner Speaks out against Intro 573-B - the no-ban bill

Former Horse Carriage Owner Speaks out
against Intro 573-B -- the NYC Council bill that sells out the horses

2/1/16

To Whom It May Concern / NY City Council

As a horse owner and former carriage livery operator I have been very concerned about the living and working conditions faced by the horses used in the NYC street hack tourist carriage industry for several years now.

At first, I believed these horses were adequately cared for and given proper care, just as my own horses were. But after looking into how the tourist carriage industry operates in New York City, I realized that working and living conditions for these horses were unacceptable.

As a person who has ridden, shown, driven and bred horses for a span of more than 50 years, I can honestly say that I would not keep or work any of my horses under the conditions most of the carriage horse owners or drivers in NYC apparently believe are satisfactory.

I also do not support Mayor Bill deBlasio's proposed compromise as being in the best interests of these horses either.

Here are my reasons for believing his plan is NOT good for the horses and does not meet their needs. I also believe it is not in the best interest of the pedicab owners/drivers, and of the members of the general public who use Central Park.

The first and most important reason is that the plan does not provide for any turnout at liberty (unharnessed or unhaltered without a lead) in a large paddock or pasture. Horses are social animals and without access to an area where they can exercise or graze at the very least several times a week - preferably with other horses to whom they are accustomed--, they develop "vices" or bad habits such as chewing wood, cribbing, weaving in their stalls and can become hard to manage. These habits can cause illness and make them unsound for work.

Large draft horses and draft crosses need adequate stall space, especially if they do not have ANY access to turnout for months at a time. Currently many of these horses are housed in stalls that do not meet the minimum recommended square footage for horses of their size (a MINIMUM of a 12 ft. by 12 ft. stall) and the mayor's proposed new stable provides for only 10 ft. by 10 ft. stalls -- these are INADEQUATE for the size of most of the horses used by the carriage owners and driver in NYC.

The plan to keep the number of medallioned carriages at 68 while reducing the number of horses to only 75 means the horses will have to work MORE than they do now. It is my opinion that these horses are already working shifts that are too long and too often now. Really having horses stand or work on hard surfaces in city traffic for 9 hours a day, often 7 days a week is already possibly injurious to their health and minds, especially with all the pollutants in the air. It also probably isn't good for the drivers either.

The mayor's plan does not provide ANY protection from slaughter for these faithful animals once they become injured or too old to work. In this day and time, that is simply a crime and is inherently inhumane. Former NYC carriage horses have already been found in kill buyers' lots destined to slaughter. Without legal protection, I believe this will continue to happen.

The provision to remove the VISIBLE license numbers on the horses' hooves is also not a very good idea and will make it easier for dishonest owners and drivers to try to pass one horse off as another. This has already been the case. A driver was caught trying to pass an old horse with respiratory problems, who should not be working, off as a younger sound horse. I believe these horses should have BOTH a visible hoof brand and a microchip. But to be honest, many sales barns and dealers do not bother to check to see if a horse is micro chipped.

I also believe that if horse-drawn carriages are going to be allowed to continue to operate in NYC and other densely populated urban areas with heavy motorized traffic, the drivers need to be better trained and supervised. The mayor's proposed compromise does not address this issue at all. There are countless videos and photos on the Internet that show drivers blatantly ignoring regulations that are already on the books to make carriage driving safe. Drivers routinely leave their horses unattended and untethered curbside. Even the best trained horse can be startled or spooked by a sudden loud noise or unfamiliar sight. This had happened DOZENS of times in the past 10 years since I became aware of the situation in NYC. Sometimes people and horses have been seriously injured, and often these incidents have resulted in the death of the horses involved on the street or their euthansia back at the stables. Really, the sight of a dead horse in the street is not very conducive to tourism.

There are also other issues that make this proposed compromise suspect. For example, if I lived in NYC, I would not want public funds spent to build a stable for a very few -- 68 or so -- people to be able to pursue their own private for-profit businesses. I also do not think it is fair to give one set of business owners a monopoly at the expense of others in a similar service industry. I am referring to the pedicab owners and drivers being excluded from portions of Central Park while the carriage owners and drivers are granted access to these same areas, exclusively. But THESE are issues that would be more of a concern to NYC citizens and tax payers. 

I am mainly concerned about the welfare of the horses involved because the treatment these horses have received, and are continuing to receive at the hands of some of the carriage owners reflects badly on all of us who own and drive horses. I can honestly say that during the seven years that I operated a special events and wedding carriage livery, not a street hack business like the tourist carriages under discussion in NYC, I was negatively impacted by stories of horses running away and being injured or causing injury to drivers and passengers in your city. After the horse named Oreo spooked, bolted and became a runaway, the video was carried by many network affiliates including the one in Baton Rouge, near where I operated my business. I lost two wedding bookings as a result of the fear that video engendered in the public.

My business model was nothing like the street hacks in your town, but I was still affected. As a private carriage livery operator, my horses were booked for specific events and rarely traveled on public streets at all. They were usually at weddings and other functions held on private property, and they actually worked no longer than 3 hours at a time from unloading to reloading and going home.

I know that the NYC carriage owners and drivers like to claim that only they "know" about horses, and only they are qualified to speak to the issue of equine care. Just for reference, I have been riding horses since age five and I began driving in the show ring when I was in my twenties. My late husband and I bred and showed flat shod Tennessee Walking Horses for more than ten years. We produced several champion horses, including a horse that was exported to Germany and won several gaited classes at the Equitania, including a gaited championship there.

I operated a profitable special events livery from 2007 through 2015 when I ceased making my horses and "rolling stock" available for hire. I owned a total of six draft horses, all of whom were retired at my expense on my property. I still drive my remaining horses and ponies for personal pleasure on the streets of my small rural town and at selected historical reenactment events in my area.

In closing, I urge the council and anyone who has a modicum of concern for the welfare of NYC's carriage horses to reject this poorly planned compromise as not being in the best interests of the horses or the citizens of NYC who share the streets of Central Park with them and the carriages.

Regards,

Mrs. H. B. Willis 

Elysian Fields Farm 

P.O. Box 272
Clinton, LA 7072

NYC CARRIAGE HORSE STABLES - YOU BE THE JUDGE.

CARRIAGE HORSE STABLES

There are good horse stables and there are bad horse stables.

Judge for yourself

    In NYC, the law allows carriage horse horse stalls to be as small as 60 square feet – 6’ x 10’ – even though many of the horses are large drafts weighing upwards of 2,000 pounds.  Equine  experts recommend stalls be 144 square feet or 12' x 12'  - with even more space

    provided to larger horses.  There is not enough space in NYC to do this right and the
    drivers want to cram in as many money-making machines (horses) as possible.  This is,

    after all, a business - not a horse-sanctuary.  When these horses cannot cut it anymore,

    they are gone.  

   
    The law does not require turnout to pasture since the land does not exist.  The law also

    allows the stalls to be on upper floors – accessible by a steep ramp.  How steep is it you

    ask?  Imagine a warehouse building with two floors connected by a staircase.  Remove

    the stair and replace it with a ramp, which because of the small space, is very steep.  This

    is how the horses access their stalls.  It is uncomfortable for them,  especially the older

    ones, to go up and down every day. The ideal is to have the stalls on the first floor.  

   These are some pictures published by ChelseaNow lauding these stables as old New 

    York.  But they are not historical landmark material.  They are just old, smelly, decrepit 

   buildings that warehouse horses like a prison. 

   These pictures are available for the public via this newspaper.  However they are nothing

   to be proud of. 

Chateau Stables on 48th St. - This stall is too small for this carriage horse at 60 square feet.   The horse still wears a  halter.  Although permissible, it is obviously done for the convenience of the drivers.  But it is uncomfortable for a horse to wear it 24/7.   More proof that these horses are just "products" and money making machines. 

Carriage Horse stable - Although Liam Neeson might want to live here, it is a disaster for horses.  Note that it has one means of egress in the middle.  If there were a fire, the horses would panic trying to descend a ramp to get out one exit.   This is what the unions and City Council want to preserve? 

Carriage Horse stable - Clinton Stables  on 52nd St. - It is not OK for a horse to be sharing his oats with pigeons.  The pigeons defecate on the oats in the bucket, which is then eaten by the horses. 

West Side Livery on 38th St. - small and cramped and dirty.  Couldn't they at least have cleaned up for the photographer?  I guess they did not care. 
 Again - horses wearing halters.



WHAT A STABLE SHOULD BE AND
 HOW HORSES SHOULD LIVE

This stable belongs to a rescue in Massachusetts.  The stalls are 12' x 12' with a 10' wide aisle.  Note the horses are not wearing halters while resting.  The name of this rescue is withheld to prevent them from being harassed.  

Horses are herd animals and love to graze.   This is something that is not available for them in NYC. 

      NYC should not be supporting this business.  It is cruel and inhumane to the horses.  No 

     matter how hard the carriage owners, Liam Neeson, some of the Council members and 

     others try to make this look romantic and "olde New York."  it is inhumane and marks NYC

     as one that does not care about animals. 

    

     It is also unsafe and dangerous to people whether the horses are housed in Hells Kitchen or Central Park.

  

     Additionally, the 68 medallion owners are the only ones who make out here -- not the

      drivers.  Do not believe that there are 350 "good union jobs."  There are only 120 drivers

     who belong to the union and they receive no benefits. 

     Unions are losing membership all over the country and they need this to show their

    strength.  But it is based on a lie at the expense of the horses.  The Mayor and Council 
    Members are terrified that the unions will come after them in the next election. 

 

    So in the end -- what are they trying to protect?  What is really behind all of this nonsense?

    Is this the kind of city you want to live in?  

    ###  

     

DEBLASIO NIXES CARRIAGE HORSE BAN

NYC MAYOR DEBLASIO GIVES UP ON CARRIAGE BAN 

TOO WEAK TO CONVINCE CITY COUNCIL

(please write letter posted below - all info provided)  

Just before the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday, when  fewer people were  paying attention, the NY Times reported that Mayor deBlasio plans to REDUCE not BAN the carriage trade.  This took us by surprise.  The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages started this campaign in 2006 - a culmination of 15 previous years of working on this issue.    Yet the Mayor has never once reached out to us to consult or ask our opinion.  Why?  MONEY TALKS and without it, you do not have  a seat at the table.  Unfortunately this is what our mayor is all about.  Remember his campaign  phrase "tale of two cities?"  Sounded catchy at the time, but he is the worse offender - exacerbating the "two cities" concept by only listening to big donors. 

Here are some of the recent articles.

NYTimes - Mayor de Blasio Seeks to Reduce, Not Ban, Carriage Horses in Central Park

NY Daily news - De Blasio won’t put horse-drawn carriages in Central Park to pasture, but he will work to reduce their number

NY Daily News - NYC carriage drivers prepare to battle de Blasio’s new plan reducing number of horses ferrying tourists in Central Park 

THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA FOR MANY REASONS.

For starters - please accept that this will not happen.  The carriage trade is already opposing it because it cuts jobs.  It would be easier to get a total ban than to go through these kinds of machinations. 

While the details have not been released yet, the Mayor is talking about reducing the number of horses in the industry to 70  -  down from approximately 200 and moving them into Central Park.    Will the City build a costly new stable on public park land for a private industry -- built with public money?   Or will they try to cram these  horses into the existing stables in Central Park that were used to house 5 horses?   Anything is possible.  If you think this will come with pasture turnout and appropriately sized stalls - think again and take off your blinders. 

This will not only require approval by the City Council but because of state law governing parks -- if the plan is to build, it will also require the approval of the NYS legislature and Governor Cuomo -- unless they figure out a way around it.  Very possible. 

TRANSPARENT PLOY TO SHUT YOU UP - DON'T FALL FOR IT!

Mostly, this is a transparent ploy to stave off criticism by activists (letters, public protests) that Mayor deBlasio has not fulfilled his promise of banning the inhumane and unsafe carriage trade – because he is too weak.   deBlasio’s ratings have sunk and he is trying to do damage control. The mayor has two years to reelection and he wants to keep the activist community at bay.  Will you fall for it?  That is the question to answer.

The Mayor is quoted in the NY Times as saying "he made a commitment to his supporters and wants to show he is a man of his word."  News flash.   He promised to BAN the inhumane and unsafe trade - nothing less. That is not being true to his "word" at all. 

IT IS ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN "HORSES IN TRAFFIC"

For some reason, the mayor and his staff, who do not have much knowledge about the horses, are suggesting that this is all about the "horses in traffic."  They would be wrong although that is certainly one of the concerns. It is about so much more -- the punishing existing of working 9 hours a day, 7 days a week - in all kinds of weather; the inadequate sized stalls - 1/2 the size that experts recommend; no turnout to pasture; being sent to kill auctions when no longer wanted ; little to no law enforcement - allowing the drivers to make illegal U-turns; leaving their horses unattended and untethered; overloading carriages, etc.

The horses' nature will not change.  They are still prey animals and can spook at the slightest provocation, becoming unwitting weapons when they bolt  -  able to cause injury or death to themselves or innocent passersby.  This is not going to change because they live in Central Park.

The hack line on Central Park South will most likely remain because this is where the drivers get their customers.  But this is also where many of the accidents occur.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STUDY? 

This was a study of the carriage trade required by the proposed bill, Intro 573.  We do not know what it "studied" because that information was never released.   It was completed in June, 2015 but never officially published.    Months ago, we put through a Freedom of Information request - (FOIL)  but continue to get monthly e-mail responses saying it is delayed until "next month."  Why the lack of transparency?  We want to know what the Mayor is hiding? 

COINCIDENCE?  WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Although we have never thought the existing stable property in Hell's Kitchen was a consideration in banning the horse carriage trade, this proposal is suspicious – if the drivers buy it – and they probably will not – their four stables will be freed up – and they will probably sell them. Interesting? We think so.

RETROFITTED CARRIAGES WERE THE SOLUTION. 

http://www.andrescarriagetours.com/

The Mayor could have done this right if he had listened to us and others at the beginning – instead of those who gave him big donations. He could have opted for the proposal to replace the horse carriages with RETROFITTED CARRIAGES – with no horses. (NOT ELECTRIC CARS) The drivers should have jumped at this opportunity.  They complain that people insult them and call them horse abusers but as long as horses are involved, this will not change whether they move into the park or not.  They will never work in an industry where they and their families can be proud of what they do because of the ongoing attacks.   Liam Neeson can try to defend them by saying they love their horses like children, but this will not stop a passerby from shouting "get a real job, horse abuser."  The drivers need to face facts - This is simply the way it is.

if they were serious about this complaint, they would look for viable ways to continue in something that closely resembled their current business but did not have horses.  Retrofitted carriages would allow them to continue with the same business model; they would have been in control; still kept their stables to store the same carriages they always used but now would be  retrofitted.   The cost was a fraction of the electric cars – Maybe $20,000 each compared to $200,000 for an electric car. Instead the drivers foolishly dug in their heels saying “no compromise.”

Now they run the risk of losing everything.

PLEASE DO NOT FALL FOR THIS PLOY

The Mayor is not keeping his word and this is NOT a step in the right direction. Don’t be fooled. We want ALL the horses retired to sanctuaries – after all when slavery was abolished, no one agreed to reduce the number of people kept as slaves – it was total abolition. We will accept nothing less.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Please contact the people below who are in the deBlasio administration and tell them that the Mayor must show the leadership abilities for which we elected him and that he must make this ban happen.  A promise made is a promise made to be kept - See sample letter below:

If you do not contact these policy makers, nothing will happen.  So please do it! 

Anthony Shorris - First Deputy Mayor

ashorris@cityhall.nyc.gov

Marco Carrion - Commissioner of Community Affairs

mcarrion@cityhall.nyc.gov

Emma Wolfe - Intergovernmental

ewolfe@cityhall.nyc.gov

Jeffrey Dupee - Community Affairs

jdupee@hhspartner.nyc.gov

Ramon Martinez - Speaker's Office

rmartinez@council.nyc.gov. 

ashorris@cityhall.nyc.gov, mcarrion@cityhall.nyc.gov, ewolfe@cityhall.nyc.gov,
jdupee@hhspartner.nyc.gov, rmartinez@council.nyc.gov. 


This is a sample letter -- just copy and paste: 

Honorable Officials,
I am writing to express my extreme disappointment and displeasure over the failure in leadership demonstrated by Mayor DeBlasio, concerning the issue of the carriage horse ban.  While the Mayor claims he has done everything possible to move this forward, and ban supporters have made every effort to contact their own Council members, it appears that he has absolutely no clout with the City Council in getting them to support his bill.  Why then would New Yorkers want to re-elect someone who is so weak?

We do not support the new plan to reduce the size of the industry.  It appears to be a ploy to keep the activist community at bay.

The Mayor must show the leadership abilities for which we elected him and must make this ban happen or I will certainly not support or vote for him again.  A promise made is a promise made to be kept!

Sincerely
Name
Address