PETA Vs NYC's Carriage Horse Industry

PETA and a coalition of animal rights activists have long battled against New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry. In a clip issued today, PETA passingly mentions the health of the animals to focus on homophobic and racist statements made by the drivers. Via the Observer:

Pop star Pink just tweeted PETA’s latest video out to her 26 million plus followers, a video that seems to show carriage drivers in moments of hate speech, racism and bigotry. In the video, which appears to have been stitched together from various encounters over the years, a filming passerby asks a coachman by Central Park why his horse is tied to a lamppost. The coachmen then flicks him off and replies with a series of homophobic slurs. “People who don’t live in New York and don’t come to new york don’t realize how much vitriol and hate is inherent in the carriage trade,” Vice President of Media Communications for PETA Dan Mathews told the Observer. “It loses a lot of its luster, and for people sitting on the fence about it, this behavior has no place on the streets of New York.” The city is no stranger to controversy surrounding the carriage industry—a tight union—and Mayor Bill de Blasio has been lobbying for a ban.

De Blasio To Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

The New York Daily News reports that one of the first acts by Mayor-elect Bill De Blasio will be to ban horse-drawn carriages, which have long been the target of animal rights activists.

"We are going to get rid of the horse carriages. Period,” de Blasio said in response to a question at his press conference announcing his schools chancellor pick Monday. “It’s over,” he said. De Blasio said he would work with existing drivers to set them up with alternative vehicles to ferry tourists around Central Park. De Blasio and advocacy groups who support him say it’s inhumane to make the horses work the dangerous city streets, but drivers insist their horses are well cared for and there’s no reason to end the industry.

The carriage industry has vowed to fight the city in court.

No Snow Days For Gotham's Horses

Longtime readers will know that the only issue on which I'll likely ever agree with PETA is the treatment of NYC's carriage horses. Check out this clip from filmmaker Donny Moss (Blinders), which was taken during Friday's ice and snowstorm.

The tourists adore the carriage rides through Central Park and many New Yorkers see the trade as quintessentially Manhattan. But all I see is sad, abused, tired animals.

(Via- Gothamist)