Following the Closure of Blue Star Equiculture, a horse rescue in West Brookfield, Massachusetts, NYCLASS Founders, Steve Nislick & Wendy Neu, and NYCLASS Executive Director Edita Birnkrant have released the following statement: 

“Blue Star Equiculture’s sudden closing is deeply concerning news, meaning that numerous horses – including former Central Park carriage horses – are now in danger. 

To make sure these horses don’t end up at an auction, or worse, a slaughterhouse, NYCLASS is offering to commit its resources to make sure every single horse finds a new home where they can truly receive the care they deserve. 

For years, there has been a staggeringly unacceptable inequality between how the City allows its carriage horses to be treated compared to the horses in the NYPD’s mounted unit. It's nearly 2020 and there are still no standards or requirements for what happens to carriage horses after they are sold by their owners – putting them at risk of landing in an abusive home or a slaughterhouse in Canada.

This is exactly why we need to take legislative action to not only increase the standards of care for working carriage horses – the same ones offered to the horses in the NYPD’s Mounted Unit – but also codify an official retirement policy into law – beginning with an unambiguous law outlawing the slaughter of retired carriage horses.”