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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
     
Location: Broxton, Ga | Horse-drawn carriage drivers are vowing to fight New York City's new mayor in his bid to eliminate the carriages from the Big Apple and replace them with vintage-style electric cars. Mayor Bill de Blasio, citing the complaints of animal rights activists, singled out Central Park's horse-drawn carriages as he took the helm of New York City last week. "We are going to get rid of the horse carriages. Period," de Blasio said. "They are not humane, they are not appropriate for the year 2014. It's over. So, just watch us do it." Yet despite his strong rhetoric, carriage owners say de Blasio has not contacted them or visited the stables -- and instead was taking the claims of animal rights activists as fact. “De Blasio has never visited our stables,” Christina Hansen, carriage driver and liaison for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York City, told FoxNews.com. “This really has nothing to do with the welfare of the horses. If it did, we could sit down with Mayor de Blasio or the City Council ... and have a discussion. This is about radical animal rights ideology, it’s about money, power, politics and real estate.”
The plan to replace the horses and carriages with vintage-style electric cars also has been attacked. Critics argue that few people will pay the current fare -- $50 for 20 minutes and $130 for an hour -- to be driven around in a car in a city in which cars and cabs are already legion. Details of the plan are scarce, but Hansen was told that the cars would be offered first to the carriage owners -- who own the approximately 68 medallions and loan them to roughly 300 drivers. Owners would be offered the option of leasing the cars for $21,000 a year, a plan that Hansen dismisses as turning carriage owners into sharecroppers. “There would be a novelty factor for a little bit,” she said. “But who wants to ride a car in New York City?”
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/01/09/nyc-carriage-drivers-vow-fightback-against-de-blasio-plan/?intcmp=latestnews |
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 Expert
Posts: 1409
| I saw a lady on House Hunters the other night almost go hysterical because she was looking at a house in some historic district and a horse drawn carriage was going by and she was vehemently against it saying "There is no reason in today's day and time for a horse to be doing that type of work." I about fell out of my chair!  |
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10D Crack Champion
| http://forums.barrelhorseworld.com/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=443183&start=1
This is what we had discussed about a week or so ago...... the lack of proper regulations there (horses working 9 hours with no break), the conditions in which they are kept when they are in the city, and the accidents involving the carriages. Everyone agreed it shouldn't be banned, but certainly needed proper regulations. |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | Every time I see pictures of these horses they look worn out and have so much harness on their heads, usually including a halter, it's a wonder they can hold their heads up. Pounding their joints on pavement everyday......no place for a horse.
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 She thinks a tractors sexy...
Posts: 3168
Location: Texas | Is there an ulterior motive?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/horse-drawn-carriage-ban-bill-de-blasio_n_4532093.html
Some carriage drivers are also skeptical that the real reason behind the ban is not the alleged animal abuse. “You've got a group of people who are being fed nonsense. The guy who's funding all this is a real estate guy,” Dave Koch, a horse carriage driver who’s been in the business 30 years, told Gothamist. “His name is [Steve Nislick, co-founder an president of NYCLASS]. He's interested in buying the land. The stables are located right by the Javits Center and they want to put hotels up in there [all sic].” |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I'm not taking sides, but when I was 16 years old, my sister and I flew out to NYC to spend a week with my aunt in brooklyn......a carriage ride was the top on my to-do list....and we chose a big grey gelding and a white carriage.
That poor gelding looked miserable and achy, I gave him a big kiss and an apple before we left |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | I can't speak for NYC, but in Chicago, the horses are treated pretty well. I know someone that bought a big grey gelding that the company owner retired. She shows him. He was retired sound and she doesn't have to do any special maitenance for him. She went to their barn and said all the horses were treated very well.
they are in good health around here. I'm in the downtown area a few times a year and have never seen anything "off". |
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 Always Off Topic
Posts: 6382
Location: ND | good for him.....if i was a horse, i'd want out of NYC too.... |
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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | BettyBarrelRacer - 2014-01-10 9:55 AM Is there an ulterior motive?http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/02/horse-drawn-carriage-ban-bill-de-blasio_n_4532093.html Some carriage drivers are also skeptical that the real reason behind the ban is not the alleged animal abuse. “You've got a group of people who are being fed nonsense. The guy who's funding all this is a real estate guy,” Dave Koch, a horse carriage driver who’s been in the business 30 years, told Gothamist. “His name is [Steve Nislick, co-founder an president of NYCLASS]. He's interested in buying the land. The stables are located right by the Javits Center and they want to put hotels up in there [all sic].”
He might be on to something. I smell a rat cloaked behind a veil of "concern for animal cruelty". This may explain why the mayor went straight to all out banning of horse drawn carriages, rather than a policy that addresses the proper care and humane treatment of the horses.
Edited by HotbearLVR 2014-01-10 10:20 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: nj | Yeah - especially since as the new NY city mayor - one of his top priorities is the carriage horses? What are his second - stray cats? I don't know if it is right or wrong, but having this as a top priority makes me think that welfare of horse has to be less then money somehow :)
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Location: las vegas nv | Right now these horses have a purpose and are cared for in their homes (where ever that is ) take away the carriages and those horses go straight to the auction and then the killers ,great job PETA,f'n morons |
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Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | I'm sure there are the worst of cases and the best........would be better to focus on improvement instead of just elimination.......I mean like the article points out........who wants to ride around in electric cars....in New York........ |
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Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | Going to have a segment on Hannity tonight!! |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25352
Location: Bastrop, Texas | Well, for those of us who watched the segment on Hannity tonight, I think this matter has been laid to rest. They showed several random horses and they certainly looked pretty darned content and well cared for. They sure didn't seem stressed walking around, and all the traffic didn't seem to phase them at all. They showed the stables and they looked pretty nice. They pointed out these horses get routine dental care and even have health insurance. They get peiodic vacations on a farm throughout the year. The question was also raised about the horses the policemen ride.....the mayor isn't doing anything about them. Finally, one of DeBlasio's biggest fund raisers is a developer who wants to build high rises where the stable is located.
Just as I suspected, this is crony capitalism for sure. It's not even subtle! |
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 Proud to be Deplorable
Posts: 1929
| HotbearLVR - 2014-01-10 10:54 PM
Well, for those of us who watched the segment on Hannity tonight, I think this matter has been laid to rest. They showed several random horses and they certainly looked pretty darned content and well cared for. They sure didn't seem stressed walking around, and all the traffic didn't seem to phase them at all. They showed the stables and they looked pretty nice. They pointed out these horses get routine dental care and even have health insurance. They get peiodic vacations on a farm throughout the year. The question was also raised about the horses the policemen ride.....the mayor isn't doing anything about them. Finally, one of DeBlasio's biggest fund raisers is a developer who wants to build high rises where the stable is located.
Just as I suspected, this is crony capitalism for sure. It's not even subtle!
Doc there is a NewYork state senate bill pending since last year that will ban all rental horses and carriage horse from NewYork city. There have been other proposals to ban All work horses Ie. carriage and rental saddle horses as far back as 2007.......I don't think its going away any time soon. I do agree with you on crony capitalism...always follow the money.
Edited by jbhoot 2014-01-10 11:58 PM
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NYC Mayor vows to eliminate horse drawn carriages...