The Central Park Blog » Animal Abuse

New York Governor Demands Better Treatment for Central Park Carriage Horses

John Moore — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:48:41 +0000

Deluxe Accommodations

The New York State Governor has taken a stand against the local horse and carriage industry that puts our local pols to shame. Gov. David Paterson, taking on the 150-year-old tradition of horse-drawn carriage rides in Manhattan’s Central Park, says the horses need to be treated better or the popular tourist rides should be banned. His recent comment before an animal activist group, rare from a high-level official, drew praise from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

Paterson seeks “more humane treatment of horses that have often suffered due to difficult work conditions,” said Paterson spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein. “Horse carriages are important to New York’s overall tourism industry and to the fabric of New York City’s culture, however we must be certain to treat horses and all animals ethically.”

The romantic rides in ornate Hansom carriages have graced Central Park since the 19th century, drawing 800,000 customers a year. They have been featured in tourism ads and in countless movies and TV shows. But Paterson and animal rights groups say the horses’ stables are too small and too cold in winter and that the constant work isn’t humane. There are occasional crashes with automobiles, one of which left a horse dead last year.

Carriage Horses Forced To Work In Snowstorm

John Moore — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 19:31:19 +0000

Yesterday morning, at the height of the winter snowstorm, horse were forced to work pulling carriages along dangerously icy streets. This in complete violation of the law. When called at 10:00 AM the ASPCA insisted that the horses were not working. Donny Moss, the producer and director of Blinders: the Truth Behind the Tradition, was on Central Park South taking video. The ASPCA seems to be woefully out of touch.

More interesting videos: They show consistent overcharging – particularly now that it is the holiday season. The going rate is $34 for 20 minutes. There is no sales tax.Yet the drivers ask for a tax from unsuspecting tourists. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSun_1Ly6ro&feature=channel

As a warning this second video includes offensive language – so beware. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbZR4FZZQRM&feature=channel

Documentary Exposing Carriage Horse Carnage

John Moore — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 02:39:43 +0000

BLINDERS, a 50 min documentary about the growing movement to ban the infamous NYC carriage horses, will be screened publicly in Manhattan for the first time on Sept. 18th and 22nd. BLINDERS has been screened at 10 film festivals and won the 2008 award for Best Film in the Point of View Category at the International Wildlife Film Festival.

September 18, 7:30 p.m.
Visionfest Film Festival
Tribeca Cinemas
Tickets – $11

Sept. 22, 7:00 p.m.
AMC THEATER
3rd Ave and 71st St
Please join Mary & Peter Max, Ally Sheedy, Kristen Johnson and Nellie McKay for a screening of BLINDERS to benefit the League of Humane Voters. Panel discussion will follow screening. You can find ticket info at League of Humane Voters

Click here to watch the movie trailer
To read more about the movie and to see the press coverage, please visit: http://www.blindersthemovie.com/

Horse Drawn Carriages Part Two

John Moore — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:22:45 +0000

In the past year I have commented several times on the Horse Drawn Carriage industry as it is carried out in New York. Initially I was of the opinion that it was a more or less innocent tradition that provided a colorful way to tour New York and Central Park. During the past few months I’ve been forced to confront the awful truth of the matter - that, no matter how quaint or traditional, there is no defense for making horses live in squalid cells and have to walk through traffic behind buses and trucks. That’s without even considering the accidents that occur.

In the interests of fair play and public discourse I have posted both sides of the argument in the comments below each posting. The last one resulted in me being called “stupid”, “ignorant” and, my favorite, a “humaniac”. The fact that these comments were sent within an hour of my posting would indicate that the industry is employing a veritable herd of PR flacks whose job it is to address every affront to the industry, even one as innocuous as my last observation. My favorite was the comment by Michaleen Flynn, a sobriquet conjuring the image of the lovable character played by Barry Fitzgerald in the move “The Quiet Man”. This apparently is supposed to lend some sort of authenticity to his homey Irish comments. I offered this person the opportunity to be interviewed for this website and present his side of the story. He refused, excusing himself out of fear of reprisal to himself and his family.

Right.

I think he refused because he can’t be interviewed, and he can’t be interviewed because he is a fictitious character. Another part of a PR machine desperate to protect an outdated industry. You can also find a video on YouTube that is sponsored by the carriage industry. In fairness I encourage people to watch it as well. The interesting thing about their movie is there are no outdoor shots of the stables the horses live in. Hmm, wonder why.