Why, you ask, am I writing about an issue in a city over a thousand miles away from where I live in the central plains? Because, this issue involves horses, 'their people', and the rights of equestrian use in and around urban areas (which are expanding compoundly!).
Photo by Christina Hansen and pulled off the Famous Horse Drawn Carriages of Central Park FaceBook page.
The photo above is a far cry from the wagon driving I started with at the camp I started working at in High School, yet the fight with 'urbanites' is not that far away... having ridden in towns many years and, that camp, well, it rests in between the river and interstate that runs through the town of 100,000+ people. Not to mention the numbers of 'rurally disconnected' automobile drivers I encounter every time I head down the road.
Camp
Upon hearing of the newly elected Mayor de Blasio's promise to ban the carriages, I have kept as close an ear to the issue as I could and even have e-mailed NYC's council members twice - once when he first announced his plans, and once earlier this week in my own protest that the industry is even being called into question. In looking into both sides of the issue I have learned that it is much more complicated than just a 'no, horses don't belong in NYC' or 'yes they do' arguement.
On one side, you have the people who are VERY against carriages, large animal's safety in a city - for people and for the animal, and/or horses being worked at all. I found an interesting group against carriages and am posting their page, starting with the cities that have already banned carriages, for your own research... though refutes of some of the cities listed having actually banned carriages can also be found.
In rebuttal to arguments against carriages made on the above page; horses are easily accustomed with 'buses, cars, taxis. emergency vehicles, motorcycles and trams' and in my own opinion we, as a society NEED more things from our past societal history (anachronism), as already shown with EAGALA's successful use of horses in psychotherapy, growth and learning programs (Why Horses?). Contrary to animal rights groups' claims, horses are NOT 'denied their natural instincts', as is known to all who work with horses and most every article describing their behavior. (Rutgers Equine Behavior and Pat Parelli just to give you a couple) I can also rebuke that 'light/saddle' horses and not Draft horses pulling the carriages is not inhumane, since I have personally driven drafts, saddle horses and ponies, and know of some who prefer pulling a cart/wagon/carriage to being ridden. And being 'broken-down horses from the racetrack' certainly does not mean they are not fit for pulling a wagon, it usually just means they weren't fast... otherwise, why would someone invest in retraining them for work other than running fast if 'their physical capacity' wouldn't allow it.
THEN, using New York's issues in this post... though it happens in all cities, you have the real estate companies who are looking at the land the horses' stables are built on and can't figure out why the land they could make money on is being allowed to house something as trivial as a horse(s). (I say this sadly, having seen different horses and ponies get moved off their pasture land ear where I grew up to erect apartments and malls, and see the city encroach on the riding stables I 'grew up' in more every time I visit.) Here are some of the claims of the carriages that New Yorkers are making a 'land grab':
On the other side of the argument, there are the reasons (beside my own experience) that I listed in my rebuttals above as to why carriage driving is not cruel. NYC already has an extensive list of regulations to keep the horses well cared for. (NYC Health Code) Blue Star Equiculuture, a 'working horse rescue and sanctuary' also has a couple good articles on working horse:
SO, I ask you, is it wrong for horses to continue to do a job they have done for hundreds of thousands of years and to keep the connection with the horse alive and well in cities where the carriage industry is the only contact many residents will have the opportunity of being near equines.
On the other side of the argument, there are the reasons (beside my own experience) that I listed in my rebuttals above as to why carriage driving is not cruel. NYC already has an extensive list of regulations to keep the horses well cared for. (NYC Health Code) Blue Star Equiculuture, a 'working horse rescue and sanctuary' also has a couple good articles on working horse:
Another blog I have been following the carriage drama in NYC on makes several viable points, in my opinion, among which include:
Many groups support the carriages, too
And even have a beautifully produced video narrated by Liam Neesom
