New York Mayor to Push For Horse-Carriage Ban Once Again

​gothamist.com/news/de-blasio-is-making-another-push-to-ban-horse-carriages-in-nyc-heres-what-you-need-know

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio is making one final effort to ban horse-drawn carriages within new York City as his time as mayor comes to an end. Horse-drawn carriages have been an issue with the mayor since he was on the campaign trail and he has unsuccessfully tried to get horse-drawn carriages banned throughout his tenure to no avail. This would be his last attempt as mayor of New York City but without sufficient council support, the legislation will never pass.

Horses who are "employed" within this industry have varying rights depending on the state / country they are "working" in. In some cases, horses receive weeks of vacation, are banned from pulling during extreme heat, and are kept from the busiest parts of the cities they work in. Despite this, we've seen the videos of horses collapsing on the busy streets as people look on in horror. The videos are incredibly saddening and couldn't be more indicative of the hell horses go through for novelty rides around the city. Those who work with the horses will argue that they are well cared for but it's hard to ignore the videos of them collapsing on the streets.  

Horses who pull carriages are in constant danger from their surroundings. First of all, it is wholly unnatural for horses to be surrounded by vehicles on busy streets. They are subjected to non-stop toxicity from all the fumes being pumped out of the vehicles surrounding them. Is this acceptable or natural? There have been reports of horses slamming in to vehicles, putting both the horse and those who are riding in the carriage at serious risk of injury. These animals endure the elements when pulling carriages; this includes rain & snow, extreme heat, and even snow. Navigating busy streets while also under the pressure of being overheated or at risk of slipping and falling is not natural. There simply is no argument that truly defends horse-drawn carriages appropriately.

It's time to retire the horses. They can be "well cared for" but still be at risk of exhaustion, facing the elements, traffic issues, and constant inhalation of toxic vehicle emissions; none of which is natural to them. Horse-drawn carriages are archaic and don't belong on the busy streets of a bustling city. These novelty rides are putting horses at continued risk so that humans can be carted around the city in "style". We're not arguing about the necessity of horse-drawn carriages here, rather the lack of necessity and whether horses deserve to be put in this continued position. The answer is simple, they do not.

We need the New York council to step up for horses. The loss of jobs can be made up elsewhere if it means that these horses can retire in sanctuaries where they can live their life free of the chains of employment we've imposed on them for centuries. I truly hope New York takes this opportunity to really evaluate whether horse-drawn carriages belong on the streets any longer. 

​I will update this story as it unfolds. Fingers crossed we'll see the end of horse-drawn carriages in new York! <3

HAPPY VEG