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Sara Hare
Submitted to Irene Peterson
English 1010-008
August 7, 2014

Not Just a Ride in the Park
Horse-drawn carriages have been an institution in New York Citys Central Park dating
back as far as 1858. By 1865 the industry had become mostly tourist based, and tourists as well
as locals continue to enjoy rides through the city today. As the city has grown through the
years, many people are beginning to question whether the busy streets are an appropriate
place for horses anymore, and after multiple incidents involving both horses and people being
badly injured or dying, animal rights groups are now questioning the ethics of the industry.
Mayor Bill di Blasio is heading up a multi-billion dollar campaign to have the horses eliminated
from the city streets, while animal rights activists such as PETA are boycotting the horses and
bringing public attention to the conditions in which the horses work and live. While some say
the animals quality of life if unacceptable, others feel the horses are well cared for and happy
animals. The single most important aspect of this debate is the horses well-being. Regardless
of who is right or wrong, the question must be asked, how ethical is the horse-drawn carriage
industry?
New York Citys Mayor Bill di Blasio is working hard to shut down the horse drawn
carriage industry. "Horses do not belong in the middle of traffic in New York City. They do not
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belong in an urban environment like this. It's not safe for them. It's not fair when you think
about what their lives should be and what our society is like," says di Blasio (Caruso).
Liz Robbins, a journalist from the New York Times, took an in-depth look into the
carriage horse debate in her article Who Speaks for the Carriage Horses? Robbins states that
the Mayor hopes to remove the horses entirely from the city and seeks to replace the carriages
with electric antique cars. Animal rights activists couldnt be happier with this solution, but
many tourist as well as locals are horrified at the thought of losing the horse drawn carriages.
Many people enjoy what the industry has to offer and feel that Mr. di Blasio is making a
mistake in banning the carriages. The horses are well cared for despite what many animal
rights activists believe, and it is thought that this debate has become less about the actual
horses and more about politics.
PETA, or The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has issued a list of reasons
why horse drawn carriages are unethical on their official website in an article titled Horse-
Drawn Carriages: Dont Get Taken for a Ride. Their first reason is that the industry is driving
horses to ill health. One example was a draft horse named Charlie who collapsed and died in
Central Park only weeks after being transferred to New York City. Later autopsy reports
showed that the horse was suffering from multiple stomach ulcers and a badly cracked tooth.
Another example was a 12 year old mare named Smoothie, who was frightened by a loud
drumming noise. The horse bolted and galloped onto the sidewalk where the carriage became
pinned between two poles. The panicked mare continued to struggle and despite the efforts of
her handlers, eventually collapsed and died. Another horse was simultaneously frightened by
the same drumming noise as Smoothie, and ran into traffic and collided with a car. Despite a
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huge public outcry in response to these accidents, no action was taken against the horse-drawn
carriage industry.
PETA expresses concern about several other health issues in the article, and while these
issues may not be life threatening, they are still very important to the well-being of a horse.
Many of the horses experience foot and leg problems caused from walking and standing on the
hard pavement streets for prolonged periods of time. These foot and leg injuries, known as
lameness, are usually a minor issue if properly treated by a veterinarian in a timely manner.
However, according to New York City veterinarian Holly Cheever, The problems are worsened
by the inexperience of the gross majority of the owners and drivers, who are either incapable of
recognizing lameness or are unwilling to suffer financial loss by removing a horse from
service for a few days. Cheever also expressed a huge concern about the horses inhaling
smoke and fumes from traffic. Since horses walk with their heads lowered to about three and a
half feet high, they are literally living a nose to tail pipe existence (Cheever).
Extreme weather conditions are yet another issue proving to be sometimes fatal to the
horses. During the summer months, horses suffering from dehydration or heatstroke can die in
just a few hours. Many cities have governing regulations on the working conditions for the
horses and carriage rides are prohibited in certain weather conditions, however these
regulations are loosely enforced and often ignored.
The last issue PETA discusses in the article is a concern for public safety. Horse-drawn
carriages are a novelty item that serve no purpose other than being an outdated mode of
transportation transformed into a romanticized tourist attraction. Horses have a natural flight
response to danger, as previously discussed with Smoothie and the other horse that were both
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frightened and bolted in response to a loud noise. Busy city streets are not the place for horses
anymore, as they pose a serious safety risk to themselves and the people around them.
In their efforts to eliminate the carriages from the city, PETA and Mayor di Blasio, as well
as many other animal rights activist are asking for people to boycott the NYC horse-drawn
carriages. They are encouraging people to never patronize carriage rides and to educate their
friends and family why they shouldnt either. On the other side of the debate however, there
are many people who do not share PETAs and di Blasios point of view on the ethics of horse-
drawn carriages.
Harry W. Werner, a past president of the American Association of Equine Practitioners
and a highly respected veterinarian, expresses a very different perspective on the welfare of
the carriage horses in New York City in his article, Carriage Horses I Inspected Were Healthy
and Content. In February of 2010, Werner and two other experienced veterinarians visited
four carriage horse stables in New York City. The three veterinarians were given free access to
all of the stable areas as well as all the horses records and prior vet inspections. The three
were very impressed with the cleanliness and the comfortable conditions all four stables
provided, and each was up to health and safety code. The horses were provided with the best
quality of foods and fresh water was accessible at all times. All the horses were well cared for,
kept in peak physical condition, and displayed calm and pleasant demeanors both while resting
and while at work. After a thorough inspection, Werner concluded that all evidence points to
a carriage horse industry that provides very good care for its horses (Werner).
While animal rights activists do have good intentions and have the horses well-being in
mind, it is hard to not acknowledge the viewpoint of a highly accredited veterinary like Dr.
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Werner, who has worked closely with horses for over 40 years. Werner also has the horses
best interests at heart, and he in no way feels that they are living or working in unethical
conditions. Likewise, many of the people pushing for the removal of the horses have very little
experience with them, and are projecting human emotions onto the animals. These activists
have decided that if they were a carriage horse they would be unhappy, therefore the horses
must be unhappy (Robbins). People are so busy fighting to get the horses off the streets and
out of cities that they forget to think about where the horses will end up if the carriage industry
closes. Likewise, people arent considering all the retired or injured horses the industry
provides for.
Journalist David Caruso takes an in-depth look into the carriage industry in his article
Horses' Future Uncertain if NYC Carriage Rides End, and reveals that by shutting it down,
many horses will be sent to slaughter. Caruso points out that the carriage industry saves the
lives of thousands of horses who can no longer work as farm horses or race horses. The
Carriage industry gives these animals a second chance at life, and shutting down the industry is
a death sentence for many of the horses. He points out that while city life may not be optimum
for these large animals, sometimes country living can be just as grim. "If you asked the horses,
'Do you want to be out in a mud paddock with no feed, standing in a snowstorm, or in a dark
stall on the fourth floor of some building in New York City?', I'm not sure how'd they'd answer."
(Caruso).
Lisa Fortier, a professor of equine surgery at Cornell University and a scientist, suggests
alternate options to the Carriage horse debate. She suggests rather than eliminating 200
horses from New York City and potentially turning them over to a fate worse than pulling
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carriages, people should be looking for ways of improving the horses working and living
conditions. Paving new paths through Central Park with horse friendly footing would be a good
solution to getting the horses off the hard pavement of the streets while also keeping the
animals safe from the dangers of traffic. Fortier believes with a bit of creative thinking the issue
could be resolved without eliminating the historic carriage horse industry.
Fortier shows in her article that there are alternative options to the issue other than
total elimination, and that there are uncomplicated solutions that could appease both sides of
the debate. By creating new pathways through Central Park with horse appropriate footing,
pro-carriage enthusiasts get to keep the horses in the city, while animal rights activists can feel
satisfied about the improved working conditions for the animals. This concept gets the horses
off the busy streets, thus eliminating the safety hazard they pose to themselves and citizens.
The horses would also no longer be inhaling excessive amounts of toxins while working, or
suffering leg injuries from the hard pavement. While creating new pathways doesnt fix all the
issues associated with the horse-drawn carriage industry, it does prove the fact that other
solutions exist, and with a little creative thinking everyone can be satisfied.
So how ethical is the horse-drawn carriage industry? There are many aspects that must
be taken into consideration when debating this issue. Some people feel that the industry is
wrong no matter how you look at it, while others believe it creates an outlet for horses who
would otherwise be sent to slaughter. Some individuals see the carriages as a safety hazard in
the busy streets of New York City, while others see them as a beautiful and iconic pastime of
the city, beloved by locals and tourists alike. Is it possible that a good alternative solution
exists, and that with a little creative thinking everyone could be happy? At the end of the day,
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the overall well-being of the animals must always be the top priority, and it is hard to say if that
is true anymore. No matter what side of this debate a person may choose, there is much more
to it than a simple right or wrong.


Works Cited

Caruso, David B. Horses' Future Uncertain if NYC Carriage Rides End. The Associated Press.
Associated Press, 10 Feb. 2014. Web. 23 July 2014.
Cheever, Holly. Conditions for Carriage Horses Are Abusive on Streets and in Stalls. Room for
Debate. New York Times. 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 July 2014.
Fortier, Lisa A. Address Concerns About Horse Carriages by Improving Horse Paths. Room for
Debate. New York Times, 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 23 July 2014.
Horse-Drawn Carriages: Dont Get Taken for a Ride. People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals. PETA. 17 May 2014. Web. 23 July 2014.
Robbins, Liz. Who Speaks for the Carriage Horses? New York Times. New York Times, 17 Jan.
2014. Web. 30 July 2014.
Werner, Harry W. Carriage Horses I Inspected Were Healthy and Content. Room for Debate.
New York Times, 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 25 July 2014.



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