Horse-drawn carriages are seen as a staple of NYC tourism – they’re almost a given sight in any movie set in the Big Apple. Yet the tragic case of Charlie, a 15-year-old carriage horse who collapsed dead in the middle of 54th Street last month, as well as a more recent carriage horse stumble near 60th Street (he reportedly just tripped and is recovering) are bringing light to the terrible working conditions for these city animals.
A bill has been proposed in the NYC Council which will swap out the horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric, vintage-inspired tour cars. This way, out-of-towners can still indulge in nostalgia for old New York, while the horses are relieved of their grueling work. (Despite laws prohibiting the horses from working in adverse weather conditions, they’ve even been forced to pull carriages during a snowstorm!)
New Yorkers for Clean, Livable & Safe Streets (NYCLASS) supports this bill, and is asking that horse lovers sign a petition to ban the carriages. “Horses do not belong in a congested, urban setting where they are constantly breathing exhaust and sharing the street with cars, buses and taxis,” the petition reads. “It is even more upsetting to know that during their non-working hours these horses are confined to tiny stables and do not enjoy access to the open space that such large animals require. I love New York but seeing such an inhumane industry continue to operate here disappoints me.” As of now, NYCLASS is only 14 signatures away from their goal of 50,000!
If you’d like to add your name, you can visit NYCLASS here. The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages also accepts donations in order to help spread the message.
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