On Saturday, August 27th, 2011, sections of NYC were evacuated for the first time in history, and the largest public transportation system in the country was shut down due to Hurricane Irene. With conditions deteriorating, Mayor Bloomberg instructed New Yorkers to stay home for our own safety and so that emergency vehicles could easily navigate the streets. Downpours occurred throughout the day.
In spite of all of the above and the law which states that carriage operators cannot work during “ice, heavy rain or other slippery conditions,” dozens of horse-drawn carriage operators were working until at least 4:45 p.m., many hours after the City was virtually shut down. They then had to make the long, difficult trip through the wet streets of midtown back to the “stables.”
As usual, the ASPCA, which collects an untold amount of money from donors in the name of helping the carriage horses, allowed the carriage drivers to leave the stables in the morning and to work all day in the wet streets in spite of the law and in spite of pleas from animal advocates.
The horse-drawn carriage industry is enabled by the ASPCA, which claims to support a ban, and empowered by NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who has blocked all efforts to take these horses out of midtown, killing bills in committee before they see the light of day.
While the NYC carriage horses have endured far worse than the intermittent pre-Irene downpours on Saturday, the carriage drivers nonetheless broke the law, and the ASPCA once again failed to protect the horses.
Following are pictures of horses working in the rain at about 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Please share this information with your friends who donate money to animal organizations and/or who vote in NYC.
For more information about how the ASPCA enables the horse-drawn carriage industry, please watch this short video: ASPCA has failed the NYC carriage horses
For more information about how Christine Quinn has blocked the carriage horse bill and every other meaningful animal protection bill, please watch these three short videos:
Christine Quinn blocks every animal protection bill
Christine Quinn lies to the public about the carriage horses
Christine Quinn: Behind the Smile
Transportation system is shut down
Mandatory Evacuations
Illegally working during the pre-Irene downpours
Working in the rain
Working in the rain
Between downpours
Subways closed
NYC Streets Abandoned
Waiting for customers in the rain
NYC shut down, except for horse-drawn carriages
NYC is closed
9 responses so far ↓
1 Justine // Aug 28, 2011 at 6:32 am
Outrageous. Thank you for posting pix. The ASPCA is an abonimation
2 Marco Sanchez // Aug 28, 2011 at 6:35 am
How was this allowed to happen? Who is accountable? They treat these horses like machines.
3 Ronnie // Aug 28, 2011 at 8:11 am
What’s withe the NYC ASPCA? Mixed messages & actions…for the horses and NOT. Dangerous enough and cruel to keep the carriage horses out in extreme heat (little/no/dirty water) and blizzards, but now during the most dangerous hurricane with potential for tornadoes!! These horses pull though Central Park with huge trees, i.e., danger fallen trees injuring, killing the horses. Even hauling down 5th Ave. there are very large trees. Does the ASPCA acknowledge that NYC has high tower buildings with millions of windows, all sizes…to huge with no protection. Falling glass is deathly. There is flooding on the NY streets with autos still driving. A disaster waiting to happen. And why were the horses allowed to pull passengers when all Mass Transit in NYC shut down? That is the answer. To pick up the human stragglers that did not heed the shut down of NYC. Again, horses are “disposable.” Things. NYC carriage horses live a life of severe inhumane treatment. And where did they come from? Most from the PA. Amish who are brutal to their horses. Then these older, worn-out, injured horses are brought to the New Holland Auction House and picked-up by NYC Carriage horse industry. And were do they go if no longer wanted? Thankfully there are many rescues specific to taking the carriage horses. However, it is a given that some go back to New Holland for the kill buyers or directly to slaughter. Most major cities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, have banned carriage horses. NYC needs them for the tourist trade? Most tourists are horrified. I lived in NYC, was active with banning carriage horses, saw the horses’ daily conditions… This IS an abomination! The NYC political disregard and corruption…& for taking the blood of the horses for $$$…GREED. Mercy on the horses. We will not stop to save the NYC carriage horses from misery, cruelty, deaths.
4 Carriage Horses Worked during NYC Shutdown « Our Compass // Aug 28, 2011 at 10:01 am
[…] 2. Ban all horse drawn carriages from the City of New York From Blinders, The Truth Behind The Tradition […]
5 Barb // Aug 28, 2011 at 10:37 am
For God’s sake you bunch of bunny hugging fools! Horses are livestock, and not pets! They’ve been used for far worse, in much worse conditions, since discovered. If you can see the carriages in the pics, it wasn’t raining that hard. If the tops were on, on the carriages, it wasn’t that windy. So what if those drivers wanted to make a little money before the real weather set in. I hate to tell you, but I’ve been caught out in worse weather than that here in Fl. with my horses! We actually used them before/ after the hurricanes, as a mode of transportation, to get around all the debris, to check on neighbors, and to collect livestock off the roads so no one gets hurt. Instead of believing all the propaganda that you read, why don’t you check things out in person first, or even use common sense when you look at pics. In other words… investigate before saying something stupid.
6 Kathy Manley // Aug 29, 2011 at 5:59 am
WHERE WILL IT END????????? What is wrong with the city government??? These horses are living breathing beings! Barb: Horses were used for emergency transportation in DAYS OF OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not in 21st century cities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You may have used them in Florida: DOES FLORIDA HAVE FOUR LANE HIGHWAYS FULL OF BUSES, AMBULANCES AND FIRETRUCKS 24/7? YOU ARE AN IDIOT.
7 Greenapt // Aug 29, 2011 at 10:49 am
Barb—excuse me but some people find compassion for other species on Earth and don’t just consider them here for our exploitation. Come to visit NYC and see where the horses go after each long day of work and observe them like i have. Horse-drawn carriages have been banned in most every other major city in the world.
Are you ok with slavery? I mean it sounds like you’re saying that as long as humans can control others then that’s the way it should be. As a family who has horses i can tell you there is nothing right about working them for 12 hour days in the streets of one of the biggest cities in the world. Find some compassion in your life because if you had some you wouldn’t rant about those who do.
8 NOTW // Aug 29, 2011 at 12:22 pm
OH BARB, would you want to stand out in the rain in cold, i dont think so bitch. Animals where here before us. All animals where here before man. and then man comes and takes them all away and makes them slaves to everything. That man standing in NY is just pure greed. I dont know why a police man did not go up and down the streets checking things out. If they did, well they to did not give a shit about this horse. And they should have arrested the greedy man out there with the animal. He broke the law. And you should check out your facts to you stupid c…t.
9 Roxanna Wilkinson // Aug 30, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Once gain the almighty dollar means more than the health, welfare, and life of an animal!! Disgusting!!
People knew the storm was coming, and should have prepared! They were out there by choice. The horses had no choice!! Bunch of bullshit!
You must log in to post a comment.