Comments on: Letters: Too Rough For Horseplay

By: Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:51:08 +0000

V. Rebel (Horse’s Can’t Cope) My country horses have never been in an air conditioned OR heated building- they don’t have sprinklers in the field, nor do they have fan waving slave boys to feed them bon-bons while they lounge in their hay beds and fret over the next week’s weather forcast. They are coping just fine living pretty much as horses have for a long long time… only without the fear of being dinner to a saber toothed tiger. Horses grow a winter coat in winter, and shed it in spring, come summer they sweat. They accept weather without questions or self pity- stop projecting. Like the tree in the forest which fell without anyone hearing it…or perhaps more like the ostrich with it’s head… I can assure you that making sure you can’t see any horses in weather when you walk past Central Park- does not mean that the world’s horses are now riding around in air conditioned taxi cabs.

By: Eric Nix

Eric Nix — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:25:49 +0000

What the anti carriage people lack is Horse knowledge and a willingness to learn. Horses Can’t Cope, Are You for real? Are You really that dumb? Sprinklers on the street? Hay beds in the road?

By: TheBarnRules

TheBarnRules — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 22:16:41 +0000

Funny that Ms. Messina only quotes a sentence from my letter, but missed the most important part, a part she, nor any other anti-horse people have addressed:.

There has NEVER been a carriage horse driver cited for abuse of a carriage horse.

There has NEVER been a citation for mistreatment, cruelty, etc.

Three horses have died in traffic accidents while on duty in over 30 years; seven other horses have died while working in over 30 years. That’s 10 horses in over 30 years! I am in no way minimizing the death of any horse, but that is a remarkable record. There is no other riding discipline that can come close to that number.

The New York City carriage horses are some of the most regulated animals in this country. The fact there has never been a citation for mistreatment or cruelty, even with an awful lot of folks looking for it (including the ASPCA which supports a ban), speaks volumes.

Why did so many of us, carriage drivers and non-carriage drivers but horse lovers all, travel from across the country (Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, West Virginia, Massachusetts, to name a few) to NYC this past weekend? Because we wanted to see for ourselves what was really going on with the NYC carriage horses and, frankly, they live far better lives than many horses. The stable we toured is clean, open, airy, and well-ventilated, stalls well-bedded, plenty of hay, custom mix grain, automatic waterers, sprinklers in case of, God forbid, a fire, misters and fans. The horses were all in good weight and condition – bright eyed, engaged and engaging. We saw the stable hands moving the carriages by hand, by themselves. We walked up and down the ramp and saw horses do the same.

Come out to the hack line and see for yourself – look at the faces of the children when they see the horses, when they get to pet the horses, and, if they’re lucky, they get to feed the horses a carrot. Ask a real horseperson, not one of the radical animal rights activists who have called the horses “disgusting”, what they think about the horses’ well-being. Horses bring a different element to the city – one that would be a real shame to lose.

Ultimately this fight is not about the NYC carriage horses. What this really boils down to is the radical animal rights activists’ goal of eliminating any human-animal interaction.

I urge you to support the NYC carriage horses.

By: Jennifer Canfield

Jennifer Canfield — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:24:28 +0000

For the people who think it’s okay to drive a horse around the city: get a reality check. Hook yourselves up to a jitney or whatever you can pull and trot around the city all day breathing fumes, hearing honking horns and only resting when some one says you can or eat by the same token. You are cold, hot, tired, hungry, your body aches and the harness makes you sore…who do you tell if you can’t speak? Horses have much more to offer than what they’ve been recognized for. And yes, they have suffered humanity’s whims as beasts of burden for centuries. Isn’t it about time intelligent people support repaying our debt to them? There are many well educated and well trained horse people out there who have come around to understanding the natural instincts and needs of horses and use them in a productive and considerate way. Enduring the urban environment which the carriage industry necessitates is most certainly not one of them.

By: Marianne Crawford

Marianne Crawford — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 02:26:44 +0000

Stop torturing horses for money!

By: M. Burgos

M. Burgos — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 15:53:31 +0000

In response to Ms. Rosenthal’s comments about the horse carriages in Central Park, and with due respect, “Horses are farm animals and obviously, unless raised in a city, not used to cars and loud noises. The number of accidents caused by the carriages is minimal compared to accidents caused by reckless drivers. “The horses that pull the carriages are “working horses” – many of them “draft” horses. Draft horses are raised to work and they are used to pull heavier loads than a carriage.

Central Park horses are not being “forced” to work – they enjoy working!! Perhaps Ms. Rosenthal should visit some farms and see what working horses do instead of campaigning to send the horses to a farm to die of boredom.

The carriages in Central Park go back more than sixty years and the idea of bringing antique cards instead of carriages is absurd. Why would anyone want to see the park in an enclosed structure, even if antique? Carriages add to the beauty of the park as well as introduce nature to young children – who really need it more than what they see on TV these days! Please!

There are many other issues to worry about in this City – like crime, homelessness, and not to mention empty businesses – these issues are a reality and need attention! Let’s leave the carriages and the horses in the park – where they belong!!

Asking people to go to a farm if they want to see a horse, is almost backwards – the reality is that many families don’t have the money or a car to do that. There is no reason to go outside the city when one can enjoy nature at home!!