Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

From time to time, well-intentioned people think they have come up with a compromise – Keep the horses in the park.     

Here are a few simple black and white reasons why this will not work.  Central Park is a landmark and the Central Park Conservancy would never allow this.   In addition, the industry is opposed to it because they want to be on Central Park South and in Times Square to pick up business.     

But let's explore this idea and see where it takes us.  Presently, the horses live in cramped quarters in five multi-storied stables on the far west side of Manhattan.  There are over 200 horses.  One would assume that if this were to happen, the city would require that there be state-of-the-art stables built with turnout – something that does not now exist.    At 1 – 1 ½ acres per horse for turnout, this would amount to over 200 acres required.  And this does not even take into account storage, office space and stalls.  Is the city willing to give up Rumsey ball field – or the Great Meadow for this use … for a tiny industry whose days are numbered … just how politically connected are they?    

This proposal does not  take into account the existing regulations that allow horses to work between the shafts of their carriage for nine hours straight, seven days a week; in hot and humid or brutally cold weather … or the fact that when horses are “retired” – records are not required to be submitted to the overseeing city agencies if sold outside of the city of NY.   This means that horses can be sold to the horse auctions in Pennsylvania or upstate New York  where their fate is unknown.  

Now how many people do you know who can keep a carriage horse in their NYC apartment …