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| Can you imagine Central Park without horse-drawn carriages? | Can you imagine Central Park without horse-drawn carriages? |
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| New York City carriage drivers never expected to end up in the middle of the New York City mayoral campaign. | New York City carriage drivers never expected to end up in the middle of the New York City mayoral campaign. |
| All we wanted to do was drive our horses in Central Park, as we have since 1858. The carriage drivers are proud members of Teamsters Local 553, and while the Teamsters are no stranger to politics, the union hoped the mayoral election would be about jobs, workers' rights, working families, and building a better New York City for all. | All we wanted to do was drive our horses in Central Park, as we have since 1858. The carriage drivers are proud members of Teamsters Local 553, and while the Teamsters are no stranger to politics, the union hoped the mayoral election would be about jobs, workers' rights, working families, and building a better New York City for all. |
| Yet, animal rights activists have hijacked the 2013 mayor's race in the Big Apple. Attempting to win the votes and donations of animal rights special interest groups, NYC public advocate and mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio has pledged to ban horse-drawn carriages on his first day in office. | Yet, animal rights activists have hijacked the 2013 mayor's race in the Big Apple. Attempting to win the votes and donations of animal rights special interest groups, NYC public advocate and mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio has pledged to ban horse-drawn carriages on his first day in office. |
| De Blasio's opposition to the iconic and famous carriage horses has baffled his opponents and outraged supporters of the industry. De Blasio's "strange" animal-rights turn seems to have been supported by NYCLASS, founded by real estate developer Steve Nislick, and by major Peta donor, Wendy Neu. NYCLASS and de Blasio propose replacing the carriage horses with electric cars. | De Blasio's opposition to the iconic and famous carriage horses has baffled his opponents and outraged supporters of the industry. De Blasio's "strange" animal-rights turn seems to have been supported by NYCLASS, founded by real estate developer Steve Nislick, and by major Peta donor, Wendy Neu. NYCLASS and de Blasio propose replacing the carriage horses with electric cars. |
| Carriage-horse-hater De Blasio and other ideologues like him, such as celebrities Gloria Steinem and Angelica Huston, have to my knowledge never been to the NYC carriage stables and have no interest in learning about the business and the fine men and women who work in it. Meanwhile, those people who do take the time to find out about what the carriage drivers do and how they work with their animal partners almost invariably love discovering this unique lifestyle that carries on humanity's equestrian heritage. | Carriage-horse-hater De Blasio and other ideologues like him, such as celebrities Gloria Steinem and Angelica Huston, have to my knowledge never been to the NYC carriage stables and have no interest in learning about the business and the fine men and women who work in it. Meanwhile, those people who do take the time to find out about what the carriage drivers do and how they work with their animal partners almost invariably love discovering this unique lifestyle that carries on humanity's equestrian heritage. |
| The Central Park carriage horses are the most regulated horses on the planet, overseen by five NYC agencies and the ASPCA. There has never been a citation for cruelty towards a carriage horse and the regulatory powers have never found evidence of abuse. Carriage horses are also, as a group, the happiest, healthiest, most well-adjusted horses I have ever met – and it shows when they are relaxing on the hackline on Central Park South or eagerly sticking their heads through their collars in their excitement to go to work. Their "work" – pulling a carriage on ball-bearing wheels on a comfortable paved surface – is easier than being ridden, racing at a gallop, or jumping over fences. | The Central Park carriage horses are the most regulated horses on the planet, overseen by five NYC agencies and the ASPCA. There has never been a citation for cruelty towards a carriage horse and the regulatory powers have never found evidence of abuse. Carriage horses are also, as a group, the happiest, healthiest, most well-adjusted horses I have ever met – and it shows when they are relaxing on the hackline on Central Park South or eagerly sticking their heads through their collars in their excitement to go to work. Their "work" – pulling a carriage on ball-bearing wheels on a comfortable paved surface – is easier than being ridden, racing at a gallop, or jumping over fences. |
| New York's 220 carriage horses get a "benefits" package that many of the city's human residents do not. They are required to get at least five weeks' vacation, veterinary inspections four times a year, have limited working hours of, at most, nine hours a day and never in extremes of weather, and are cared for 24 hours a day by a team of knowledgeable stablemen. | New York's 220 carriage horses get a "benefits" package that many of the city's human residents do not. They are required to get at least five weeks' vacation, veterinary inspections four times a year, have limited working hours of, at most, nine hours a day and never in extremes of weather, and are cared for 24 hours a day by a team of knowledgeable stablemen. |
| And after they have finished their careers of ten, 15 or even 20 years, they have a retirement plan! Blue Star Equiculture, a Massachusetts nonprofit helping horses, humans and Mother Earth, is the official retirement home for our horses. | And after they have finished their careers of ten, 15 or even 20 years, they have a retirement plan! Blue Star Equiculture, a Massachusetts nonprofit helping horses, humans and Mother Earth, is the official retirement home for our horses. |
| All NYC carriage horses live in stables in the Hell's Kitchen district, on the far west side of Manhattan. These stables were built to house horses in the late 19th century, and as such were designed with good ventilation from all sides. The industry's dedicated horsepeople have continually made improvements in the stables, including the mandatory use of box stalls that allow horses the freedom to turn around and lie down comfortably, the addition of fans with misters to increase air circulation and cool the stable in the heat of summer, and the installation of high-volume sprinkler systems and other fire and safety measures. (This last item, sprinklers, is one that makes other horsepeople envious: barn fires are a horse-person's worst nightmare and most barns do not have the ability to install sprinklers. Pet stores, riding horse stables, and even most apartments in New York City are not required to have sprinklers.) | All NYC carriage horses live in stables in the Hell's Kitchen district, on the far west side of Manhattan. These stables were built to house horses in the late 19th century, and as such were designed with good ventilation from all sides. The industry's dedicated horsepeople have continually made improvements in the stables, including the mandatory use of box stalls that allow horses the freedom to turn around and lie down comfortably, the addition of fans with misters to increase air circulation and cool the stable in the heat of summer, and the installation of high-volume sprinkler systems and other fire and safety measures. (This last item, sprinklers, is one that makes other horsepeople envious: barn fires are a horse-person's worst nightmare and most barns do not have the ability to install sprinklers. Pet stores, riding horse stables, and even most apartments in New York City are not required to have sprinklers.) |
| Their 300 owners and drivers, whom I have the privilege now of calling my co-workers, are fine horsemen and horsewomen. They, like me, have chosen this as their career out of a deep and abiding love of the horse, and many of them have been New York City carriage drivers for 20 or 30 years. Many of the owners – who drive their own carriages – come from horse cultures in Ireland, Italy, or Latin America. Wherever they are from, carriage drivers devote their lives to the horse and, in New York City, our occupational history is an unbroken chain of horse-people dating back to the design and opening of Central Park – and, indeed, to the founding of this great city (and even further, to the origins of western civilization 6,000 years ago). | Their 300 owners and drivers, whom I have the privilege now of calling my co-workers, are fine horsemen and horsewomen. They, like me, have chosen this as their career out of a deep and abiding love of the horse, and many of them have been New York City carriage drivers for 20 or 30 years. Many of the owners – who drive their own carriages – come from horse cultures in Ireland, Italy, or Latin America. Wherever they are from, carriage drivers devote their lives to the horse and, in New York City, our occupational history is an unbroken chain of horse-people dating back to the design and opening of Central Park – and, indeed, to the founding of this great city (and even further, to the origins of western civilization 6,000 years ago). |
| Our occupational ancestors were those cab drivers who, in the first half of the 20th century, refused to give up their living, breathing equine partners in favor of the soulless car. Today, we still wouldn't give up our horses. | Our occupational ancestors were those cab drivers who, in the first half of the 20th century, refused to give up their living, breathing equine partners in favor of the soulless car. Today, we still wouldn't give up our horses. |
| As sensible people listen to the anti-horse hype surrounding the New York City mayor's race, the carriage drivers want you to find out the facts about our iconic industry, which is a top ten tourist attraction in New York. Driving a horse in Central Park is a way of life; we are horse-people. | As sensible people listen to the anti-horse hype surrounding the New York City mayor's race, the carriage drivers want you to find out the facts about our iconic industry, which is a top ten tourist attraction in New York. Driving a horse in Central Park is a way of life; we are horse-people. |
| Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to be seen and experienced from the back of horse-drawn carriage. There has never been a time when you couldn't get a carriage ride through the Park. And we intend to keep it that way. | Central Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted to be seen and experienced from the back of horse-drawn carriage. There has never been a time when you couldn't get a carriage ride through the Park. And we intend to keep it that way. |