By Gregg McQueen | Manhattan Times News | 8th Sept ’22
Central Park horse carriage drivers are pushing for a new stable and better safety measures in the wake of a highly-publicized collapse of a horse last month.
Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, the union representing 130 carriage drivers in the city, has released a “Big Heart” platform advocating for better oversight of the industry.
Drivers are in a fight to preserve their livelihoods after a carriage horse named Ryder collapsed from heat exhaustion on a midtown street on August 10. Captured on viral video, the incident distressed animal-loving activists and celebrities, as well as city lawmakers, some of whom renewed the call to ban the horse carriages.
Currently, there are 68 licensed horse carriages allowed to operate in New York City.
While the rides around Central Park are popular with tourists, the industry provides jobs that help blue-collar workers “put food on the table, pay their rent, and send their kids to college,” said TWU representative Pete Donohue.
“The union is also deeply invested in making sure these horses have the best care, and making sure their health and wellness is taken care of,” Donohue said at a press conference on September 2.
The union is calling upon the city to create a new stable near 86th Street, provide additional training for drivers, and hire a full-time veterinarian to look after the horses.
Though the city’s Health Department once had an equine veterinarian who would visit stables and check on the horses, that position has been vacant for more than a year, drivers said. Read more »
We say
“The union [TWU] is also deeply invested in making sure these horses have the best care . . . .” WHAT? Get out of town.
NYC’s carriage horse owners and drivers would not be considering making any changes at all, if the case of the downed, suffering Ryder had not exposed the industry for what it actually is to millions — horrific animal abuse.
We keep being drawn back to this as well.
How is it that the police officers who stood there and watched, then intervened and helped the downed and ailing Ryder back to his feet, then left him in the hands of his abuser? We do not know the law of course. But we wanted an answer. It bothered us so much that we tried asking NYPD, but received no answer to date.
Ban horse drawn carriages everywhere not just New York City. Replace them with cleaner, safer e-carriages.
Urgent question. Where do the suddenly out of work, displaced carriage horses go? It is imperative to us that this is part of any ban.
Another one is . . . . where is Ryder? And is he dead or alive?
Featured Image: Gothamist. Post Updated 5:05 pm EST
Comment
“Why this driver wasn’t charged immediately I don’t understand! He made a public display of his abusive behavior (imagine when nobody is around); and the horse has obviously been neglected. The heat and humidity that day was awful and yet he had him out there with no regard for Ryder’s health and safety. Keep up the good fight Councilman Holden; this needs to be stopped!” By NK47, 15th Aug 2022
See more
More News
• Carriage horse was ‘in distress’ hours before collapsing on NYC street: witness, New York Post, 15th August, 2022 »
• ‘Ryder deserves better’: Queens councilman joins activists in calling for criminal abuse charges against horse carriage driver, QNS, 16th August, 2022 »
• Carriage horse Ryder quietly taken out of city, AM New York, 17th August, 2022 »
• Home free? Animal rights group locates carriage horse Ryder, but says his farm isn’t a sanctuary, AM New York, 30th August, 2022»
• Poll: 71% of New Yorkers want horse carriages banned following Ryder’s collapse, New York Post, 2nd September, 2022 »
Updated 3rd September, 2022
Tuesday’s Horse
Official Blog of The Fund for Horses
Tuesday's Horse 
Sorry Local 100., Tooo late. You’ve had years, no decades to fix the problem that can’t be fixed because the characters involved are not reputable people. So therefore the problem cannot be fixed. We must change over to vehicles that cannot be whipped, starved, overworked in 100 degree plus weather.And the absolute utmost important part of this plan must be about the safety and well being of these innocent horses who have no choice and no voice. Thank You and may the horses WIN
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The best care to be given to these horses is to free them from this miserable life of hauling a carriage day in day out for long hours in all weather conditions by retiring them to live in a natural environment which they’ve been cruelly denied.
These horses are slaves to despicable greedy people. This horrific animal abuse must stop and it’s now up to the New York City Council to stop it.
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