Our campaign is dedicated to banning the inhumane, unsafe, anachronistic and hack line
horse-drawn carriage trade in NYC and elsewhere.
We need a total ban, not a "compromise" that will doom the horses to a life of misery.
Please donate to our campaign.
We do not need much money since we do this proudly for free - it is a labor of love and compassion - but we could use help with flyers, posters, this newsletter and our website. We also donate to equine rescues and to groups in other cities that want to make a difference. We strongly feel that we are all in this together. You will always get the truth here because we have no conflicts of interest and do not have to genuflect to anyone - either because of business or political dealings. With our years of experience with this issue going back to the 1990s, we are not hesitant to speak out. Thanks to all of you who have donated. It is very much appreciated.TRUTH not POLITICS!
GOOD NEWS!
BARCELONA: As of June 1st, the City of Barcelona in Spain has banned horse-drawn carriages.
Click here. Deputy Mayor Janet Sanz for ecology tweeted,
“Barcelona is a friend to animals.”
Congratulations to all the activists in Barcelona and their legislators who made this happen.
MONTREAL: There are more carriages and horses in Montreal than in Barcelona and the campaign has been going on for a much longer time. However, victory is around the corner. The City of Montreal just announced that it will be shutting down the industry as of December 31, 2019, giving the drivers ample time to get new jobs.
Montreal announces new animal bylaw, moves to ban horse-drawn carriages
AND
We hope this comes to pass. The Mayor of NYC promised to ban horse-drawn carriages and also gave it a date - but he reneged and nothing happened. Nevertheless, the
activists in Montreal deserve a lot of credit for their perseverance and tenacity in not giving up on the horses.
BAD NEWS!
BIRMINGHAM, AL: Although there was a lot of opposition, the Mayor signed the order to allow a horse-drawn carriage business to work in Birmingham. It sounds like a sweetheart deal to us, particularly since there were no public hearings. We hope activists in Birmingham monitor this new business closely.
TELLURIDE, CO - a similar situation to Birmingham. Faced with a lot of opposition, the City Council nevertheless voted unanimously to allow horse-drawn carriages
SOME MOVEMENT:
CHICAGO -- the campaign continues in Chicago with some Alderman proposing allowing the horses to work in parks rather than on the street:
Click here
This generally happens when legislators know they have to do something but are too afraid to call for an outright ban. What they refuse to understand and acknowledge is that this is just as much about a horse's nervous nature as it is about being on the street with cars. Horses can spook in parks just as easily as on the street.
ROME -
legislation has been introduced to restrict the horse carriages to four of the city's parks -with the belief that it is safer than the street. We do not subscribe to this idea because a horse can spook anywhere - streets or parks. The legislation is opposed by the carriage drivers who apparently have a lot of power.
CHARLESTON - the campaign here has also been going on for several years. Recently one of the carriage companies
filed a law suit against the Charleston Animal Society and a local activist, claiming a violation against the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. The bizarre thing about this lawsuit is that as of today, the actual papers have not been served and makes us wonder if the carriage drivers used the courts for a public relations campaign.
OTHER AREAS:
In the last few months, the Coalition has heard about bad conditions for carriage horses in the Aran Islands in Ireland and in Seville, Spain. In both cases, this was brought to our attention by tourists who had vacationed there but lived in other countries. There did not appear to be any animal activism on this issue in either Spain or Ireland.
If you go on vacation to a country that has an inhumane carriage trade, please report it to the authorities, including their tourist agency. Take good pictures to include in your report. You can also comment on
Trip Advisor.
I googled "trip advisor Krakow, Poland carriage horse tours."
If you need help, contact us at coalition@banhdc.org
IDEA FOR A VERY SIMPLE CAMPAIGN:
This was suggested by MG who sent us the picture of a driver looking at his cell phone, which is below:
"When I walk by the carriages, I give them a very evident ‘thumbs down’ which seems to get them very upset!
Maybe that could be an interesting ad campaign...if hundreds of people give a thumbs down when they see them, could send a strong message"
We think this is a great idea. SIMPLE! All you have to do when you pass by a horse-drawn carriage is to give them (the driver and passengers) a THUMBS DOWN. No words need be spoken.