Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

Marjorie Caruso -  January 30, 2009      

As a life long equestrian and life long New Yorker, I ask that this Council immediately ban the cruelty that is going on and has been going on in New York City for far too long.   
Year after year, I have watched the carriage horses suffer.    

If any of you know horses, you know just by looking at them the suffering they endure, because it is written on their faces and in their body language.  If you don’t know horses, then I understand how you can’t tell the difference between a horse that is suffering and one that is well taken care of.    

A few examples of a well cared horse would be a shiny coat, healthy feet, enough fat to cover their ribs, an alert look on the horse’s face with head up, and of course, bright eyes. If you need an example, look at the NY City Police horses.  They are fine examples of healthy horses.  Compare those horses to the carriage horses and you will see the stark differences.   These differences one might argue are due to breeding, or a difference of breed, but that is not so.  Draft horses and draft crosses can look as bright and happy as any other horse.   

The NY City carriage horses oftentimes are limping, have cracked hoofs, are underweight with ribs showing, have dirty and dull coats, and pull carriages with their heads down and a glaring lack of spark to their eyes and demeanor.    

I have personally run through city streets to get the hoof number and license plate of limping horses, underweight horses, horses with sores and jangling shoes, much to the irritation of the drivers.    

I have watched this industry be allowed to abuse their animals for over 30 years.  So many have tried to end this barbarism, but yet somehow money always wins out and what does that say about our city leaders?  In my mind, it says that they rule with greed rather than compassion.   

If they continue to govern this way, what can we expect?  And, if we continue to vote these types of people into office, we deserve the end result.   

Unfortunately though, we are not the ones suffering at their hands. At this time it’s the horses that do not deserve the treatment they are receiving.

Horses need to be able to socialize, graze, and lie down to sleep.  The NY City carriage horses are completely deprived of it all. 

I ask that this loathsome industry be banned forever and the horses be rescued. 

In the end, if you won’t do it for the horses, then please do it for those of us who live here because it is a matter of safety. Horses do not belong in NY City pulling carts amidst heavy traffic and pedestrians.

Thank you. 

Marjorie A. Caruso, New York, New York