Tradition or Cruelty?

I have just returned to the Uk having spent this weekend in NYC, I could not believe that these horses are allowed to work in such conditions, it was 85 degrees but I saw no water or shelter for them....shameful that this is happening in the most amazing city in the world! Why do they have draw reins? A horses natural gait when pulling up hill is to lower his head, the draw rein will not allow this.

YES!!! Horse drawn carriages SHOULD BE BANNED!
Yes, it is nice to ride on a buggy through Central Park and the City but is it really worth putting not only the horses life but also your life and others at risk? and is it fair for horses to be treated so cruelly just so you can have a nice ride around New York?
Most people don't even realize how bad the conditions are for these horses. When they are not working their 8 hour shift they are in their 4 by 8 ft stalls not even able to move around.

If you disagree with anything above, you might want to take a look at this documentary about horse drawn carriages and the dangerous affects it has on the horses and people surrounding them.

http://www.blindersthemovie.com/

STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY!

I own horses. Last week I went outside and found one of my horses upside down in the 100gallon water tank with three legs and her head and neck sticking up out of the tank. It took a call to the fire dept. to get her out. Normally she is a quiet laid back mare. No matter how much you prepare, a horse is a horse. I don't think carriage rides should be outlawed but dedicated areas to the horses and some turn out areas so they can run and be a horse would greatly improve their well-bing. As far as risks to passengers, that is something inherent in horse related activities. This should be clearly posted for all potential customers to read and acknowledge. We aren't outlawing alcohol consumption even though we know how many deaths are alcohol related each year so why ban haorse drawn carriages?

P.S. - Smoothie the horse that was killed in September looked quite thin to me. Did anybody else notice this?

I've never been to New York so I don't know about the busy streets,but,would it be possible to have public stables which the horses would use in Central Park and only have the carriages travel the trails in the park? I know how wonderful an animal the horse is and I also know what pleasure children and adults take in just seeing and being close to them. The ASPCA or animal shelter or what ever org New York has could police the care and treatment of the animals.

It is past time to ban horse-drawn carriages. As the city audit found, the horses are poorly cared for and there are disturbing inconsistencies in the record-keeping. The sight of dead horses on NYC streets is not in any way romantic; it is pathetic. Horses that are forced to work in the nation's most congested city are endangered, and so is the public. I am disheartened to think that there is any debate on this topic at all. Like the human slave trade, this industry is a tradition that must end. The City Council that would give the industry a raise should instead do the right thing and ban it. Would it hurt the lazy tourists to take a walk???

I am so glad to hear others have concerns about this. While visiting Manhattan last Christmas I had to call the Humane Society regarding the horrible condition of one of the horses. I gave the license number of the carriage and they told me there are many horses that are mistreated, that they will do what they can. Many of them look old, tired and some even injured. I was leaving Central Park with my family when we noticed a horse drawn carriage at the light. When the horse started walking it was limping. We got the driver's attention, he looked over thinking we wanted to hire him. I told him his horse was hurt and he looked away and continued down the street. It was obvious he didn't care. He would lose money if he had to park the horse. This is a highly abusive situation. These poor horses are overworked! Next time you are there, notice the worn places on their legs where the harness rubs. Please do something to help them. This is not a romantic fairy tale. It is only in the movies, and their horses are taken care of. If they are not banned, then there needs to be strict regulations regarding the amount of hours they work, the amount of rest they need in between trips and plenty of water and grain. Also, the harnesses need to be fitted correctly and maybe more padding added. I understand the Mayor is against stopping this, I understand him wanting to keep tradition. There so many things Manhattan has to offer, do we really need to have a carriage ride at the horses' expense?

stop the insanity - it may have been romantic and quaint a hundred years ago and maybe even 70 yrs ago but now it is cruel.....horses are beautiful, sensitive, intelligent creatures ......no animal should be subjected to the insanity of noise, traffic, etc. like that......I will never recover from seeing the horror of 'Black Beauty'.......

for shame. not one comment...its archaic, no matter how charming...pity those horses. enuf already. get the subway.