Horse-drawn carriages in Central Park are one of NYC’s long-held cultural traditions, dating back to before Abraham Lincoln was elected President. But that doesn’t make the practice right.
Bill de Blasio, NYC’s new mayor, has vowed to put an end to the horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC, stating,”Horses in the streets of the city today don’t make sense. We’re going to fix it.” It is true that several horses have died and been injured while on the job from a variety of conditions including being overworked, extreme temperatures and even being hit by cars. PETA president Dan Matthews championed to the Wall Street Journal, “This is not life as nature intended for a horse. The reason it’s all come to boil now is that finally a mayor was elected who was among those people who understand that.” Mayor De Blasio would like to replace the horse-drawn carriages with antique electric cars, which would also not contribute to air pollution. Other luminaries who support the ban include Alec Baldwin, Lea Michele and Miley Cyrus.
On the other side of the spectrum is actor Liam Neeson. He maintained at a tour of the Clinton Park Stables where several of the horses are kept that the animals are treated fairly and that the carriage industry has deep roots in America and should not be outlawed,”This is an industry that’s been here since before Abraham Lincoln’s first inauguration. A beautiful industry it is. It’s a connection with our past.” The Mayor was a no-show at the press conference, prompting Neeson to say, “He should have manned up and come.”
And if the proposed ban were to take effect, what would happen to the almost 200 carriage horses in NYC? They would be retired to various horse sanctuaries and rescue groups, such as The Humane Society. How do you feel about this controversial issue?
