Too hot to trot and more

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 10: A carriage horse eats by Central Park moments before all drivers were ordered to return to the stables due to heat on August 10, 2018 in New York City. According to New York City administrative code, all carriage horses used in tourism must immediately stop working and return to their stables when the temperature reaches 90 degrees. Animal rights activists, who want to permanently end the carriage horse business in the city, say many drivers ignore the law or linger in the park looking for customers long after an alert has been issued. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

(CARRIAGE HORSES) The carriage horse industry is a cruel and insidious business resulting in long term abuse, injury and even death to the horses used.

Carriage horse workers routinely claim they need no rules because they can self rule, that their horses are treated right, or that agreed on protective measures are already in place and all is well.

What’s ironic about these measures put into place by well meaning people, is that they are what a decent human being responsible for any animal would know that they should and should not do to provide proper care.

By all reports health and safety guidelines for carriage horses have not worked that we know of. Not even close, because they are not met nor are they enforced. They are largely ignored. So carriage horse workers continue to house and work horses as they have always done,  and the terrible life that carriage horses daily suffer goes on as before.

Case in point. Right now carriage horses are being worked in New York City during the current heat wave. This is going on in other cities as well. However, the issue caught the attention of One Green Planet, or should we say was brought to their attention — by NYCLASS.

The One Green Planet article is entitled, “WTH?! Visibly Uncomfortable Horse Forced to Carry Tourists During NYC Heat Advisory Shows Why Carriages Have to Go! (VIDEO)”. Yet further on in the article a ban is not called for, but more . . . you guessed it — reforms. Proposed by none other than NYCLASS.

Reforms are exactly what is NOT required.

The carriage horse trade in Manhattan and in cities around the country do what they damn well please in the face of whatever reforms and protective measures are in place.

Blessedly a few of the worst stables housing carriage horses have shut down in Manhattan, but only because they were forced to due to encroaching redevelopment. This was predicted.

Here are the City’s guidelines for Horses Working in NYC. You see no one is enforcing them or the carriage horses would not be on the streets working during this year’s dangerous heat waves.

Crews try to get carriage horse Jerry to his feet. The carriage company that owned Jerry forced him to spend his days hauling tourists through dangerous, congested streets in the scorching Salt Lake City heat. He finally collapsed in 98 degree heat and was unable to get up. He had to be dragged into a trailer and hauled back to the barn. After months of hiding it, Peta exposed that Jerry had actually died shortly thereafter. Image source: Peta.

BAN IT!

There is only one solution to end the day-to-day misery and abuse of carriage horses. We must ban the carriage horse trade in American cities. End of story.

While we are grateful that a few carriage horse businesses are dwindling and dying out because of groups like ours and concerned citizens like you who are raising our voices, we need to do more.

Please use social media to call for the ban of the the carriage horse trade in your area. Do it with us or someone like us, but please do it!

We are putting together a social media campaign. If you would like to help, please share your ideas in comments or email us with samples of attention grabbing slogans and statements and who you think should be targeted and where. If you have or can take pictures of carriage horses working in the heat in your area or while on vacation, please share them.

Thank you everyone!