The Call to Ban Horse Carriages In NYC and why it's Way Overdue

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Not gonna lie y'all, I saw this story on my Instagram last night, and immediately started jotting down talking points. Half a year or so ago, I reported about a horse collapsing in the streets of New York City. The story was met with significant push back from the carriage community and honestly, anti animal activists lol. It's still a very divided issue but when you consider the facts, it really shouldn't be.

About a month ago, another horse collapsed in New York, prompting activists and celebrities to urge a ban on horse carriages once again. In my experience, those associated with the carriage industry were very vigilant in defending their treatment of the horses without acknowledging the things I was pointing out. It was hard to navigate the conversation because of their vehement defense of their treatment of the horses, not what the horses were forced to endure. Let's tuck in to this.

Why Are They Collapsing?

Is it exhaustion? Do they have medical conditions that are being overlooked? Are the working conditions they're enduring putting them at risk? 

While we have had a relationship with horses throughout our history, it has grown now in to one of exploitation and forced servitude. Whether we're racing them, dragging a carriage full of tourists around on them, or riding them in the police force, we're consistently putting them in harms way. 

The Weather is Changing

Believe it or not, our planet is heating up. Glaciers are melting in the Arctic, in Greenland, and off the coast of Canada. Even my hometown of Windsor, Ontario, has been getting hotter. This past year, we had a string of days back to back that were under heat advisories, it's obvious that things are going to continue to get hotter. 

As someone who walks 45 minutes to work, I can tell you that it is strenuous on my breathing when I'm forced to walk in temperatures that are dangerously high. Why would this be any different for a horse? They're parading around in concrete jungles which amplify heat, surrounded by immense vehicular pollution, and somehow they're understood to be just fine? The hotter it gets, the harder it is to be mobile outdoors, and as our temperatures continue to increase, horses collapsing on paved streets will become more frequent. 

More Traffic

Look, back in the earlier days of our civilization, there was less of us which means there was less traffic. Horse are now navigating millions of people, vehicles, and other obstacles. Not only is this creating unsafe situations for them, consider the possibility of collisions. No one comes out a winner from a collision with a horse carriage. Also, as I stated in the last piece, it simply means more pollution. Think about a horse sitting in a pile up at a red light, how much vehicular pollution is it subjected to and is it fair to do that to them? As we continue to grow in population, more horse accidents are destined to happen.

It's Time for a Ban IN new York City

This is not a new issue. With every horse collapse, activists reignite the pleas to end this forced servitude and the carriage association takes no responsibility and tries to deflect. This continued back and forth is keeping horses working in the same conditions that are causing them to collapse. Horses will continue to collapse in the streets, a scene that causes panic, sadness, and distraught for all involved. The videos showing the horses attempting to get up only to fall to the ground are heartbreaking.

There is no defense of horse carriages any longer. As I said, one the leading arguments in defense of the carriages was that the horses were treated so well when they were not working etc, but does that translate to the streets? Does telling the horse you love them at night negate the 110 degree temperatures they're dragging tourists along in? It's time to recognize that while nostalgic, it is dangerous for horses on congested streets. It is unnecessary to utilize horses in this way when there is a plethora of transit options available to us. It's nothing more than exploitation at this point and the we need to bury this tradition in our history.

Horses and humans have had a long standing relationship. It's time for us to thank them for centuries of cooperation by freeing them from being exploited for novelty rides. Ban horse drawn carriages in New York City. It's time to retire the horses and end this servitude.

HAPPY VEG