Rush Limbaugh to the rescue for Irish horse and carriage drivers in Central Park

Irish Central ^ | January 4, 2014 | JAMES O'SHEA

[george76]

Rush Limbaugh has come out swinging in defence of the heavily Irish horse and carriage industry in New York’s Central Park after new mayor Bill de Blasio promised to put them off the streets.

Over half the drivers of the 200 horses are Irish, but they are fighting a rearguard action against de Blasio, who had major support from animal rights groups.

De Blasio stated that one of his first acts would be to end the horse and carriage trade and replace it with electric car tours.

"We are going to quickly and aggressively move to make horse carriages no longer a part of the landscape in New York City... They are not humane. ... It's over."

Limbaugh, among others, scoffed at that.

[miss marmelstein]

We already have these rickshaw-type vehicles in NYC. Like the horse and buggies, they charge an arm and a leg and are a lot less romantic.

[Mike Darancette]

Brilliant. Take away a major attraction for tourists to NYC as well as tax revenue.

Don't worry the squeegee men will be back soon to entertain the new crop of 3rd world touristas.

[Paladin2]

What about those of use who are ridden hard by the roughshod gov’t everyday?

[TalBlack]

My father loved Ted Kennedy AND the IRA. I thought he was a damned ass on both counts.

[miss marmelstein]

Well, in a way, that makes sense. Teddie and the IRA were pals. But I have an Irish friend who loves Teddie but hates the IRA. You can’t tell her that he was one of the biggest supporters of this murderous gang and that he raised enormous funds for them. But I never thought the Irish were that bright...

[lavaroise]

Just shows how much of a pathetic fund raising and anyhobbylobby whore De Blasio and politicians are for pretty much integrating PETA or child murder in government.

[lavaroise]

I mean these are tourist revenue horses and pretty much NYC pets. Idiot leftists cannot resist a cock block antimarket demoralizing move.

[Alice in Wonderland]

I like horses and I like Central Park and I like horses in Central Park.

Central Park, a man-made park, has lakes and streams and woodlands and rambles and meadows. Its separate circulation systems were specifically designed as carriage drives, equestrian paths and pedestrian walkways. It is one of the most inspiring combinations of architecture, landscape design and urban planning to be found anywhere on the face of the earth. It is the heart of New York City. There is no comparable urban green space to be found anywhere.

I like the idea that a city kid can go to the middle of Manhattan and see and touch a horse. People and horses like each other and have worked together for ages. People who know and spend time with horses know it’s not inhumane to make them draw carriages. That’s what draft horses were born to do. They have massive strength, yet are so gentle that even children can lead stallions.

The horses of Central Park are the last of the many wonderful working horses which actually built our country. The horses of yesterday did all the work cars and trucks do now. They died in the streets from overwork and were left where they dropped. It should be out of respect of the legacy they left that those remaining have a place of honor with people who understand, love and have formed a bond with them. These magnificent draft horses are our Living History ... our Heritage. And a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park is a magical experience and a beloved attraction for both residents and visitors to the city.

But NYCLASS, an animal rights organization, wants to end this 150-year tradition. They claim that it is inhumane and cruel to the horses… that the horses are abused and are sooo last century.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The horses are very well taken care of and have a very good life. The horse-carriage industry faces some of the most rigorous regulations of any industry in the city. And the horses of Central Park are the most monitored and scrutinized horses on the planet earth. Separate city agencies monitor their operations, as does the ASPCA. The horses have mandatory work hours, mandatory vacation on pasture, and cannot work when the temperature is above 89 or below 18 or if it is raining or snowing. As long as the relationship between horse and driver is built out of love and respect, both benefit. In the past 30 years there have only been three traffic related horse fatalities. There is no compelling data to support ending the industry and the livelihood of those in it.

To suggest that the ASPCA, the Department of Health, Consumer Affairs, DEP, Parks Department Mounted Unit, NYPD, NYPD’s Mounted Unit, and the Mayor’s office are all lax and/or corrupt is an injustice to those agencies and the people serving in them. They inspect and regulate the carriage horses on a daily basis, to the point of harassment. If only daycare centers, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals were so well monitored!

The horses are seen by vets, farriers and equine dentists several times a year. Horses are not like lapdogs or cats … they like working, just like service dogs and sheep dogs do. It is not cruel to hitch a horse to a carriage and drive it at a leisurely pace around Central Park. Being stuck in a stall is no fun and hard on the horse. Horses that don’t have jobs often have psychological issues … they are meant to be more than eye candy. Working horses thrive on human attention and interaction and the carriage horses get tons of both; from passengers and passers-by, but most importantly, from their drivers and owners, who spend all day, everyday with them.

I don’t see the animal rights activists mouthing off about NYPD and Park Ranger horses that are housed in standing stalls. I don’t see them mouthing off about riding schools or top class competition horses. If humaneness is their chief concern, it would make more sense to shut down racetracks and outlaw thoroughbred racing. I'd hate to see that too, but it does make more sense.

If people want to see ‘animal abuse’ they should see how horses live in the wild. A wild horse would beg to live in a nice box stall, away from predators, with all the food he can eat and under cover from the weather. And thousands of horses waste their lives away in pastures, starving because no one cares enough to feed them. The owners figure the horses have grass so they'll be fine. Wouldn’t it be better if they had a job and be cared for, instead of starving and potentially being sent to slaughter? The 100,000 American horses sent to horrific slaughter in Canada and (much worse) in Mexico each year would be delighted to have a safe home and a job pulling a carriage in New York.

Note: the little horses are used in therapy programs for disabled children.

It would cost between $400-500 thousand A YEAR to care for the 200+ horses removed from the streets. Rather than do that, the small business owners involved will sell them. No, they are not going to rich, pre-teen girls in the Hamptons. They will be sold to the horse markets where they will be slaughtered and made into pet food.

But in reality, this has NOTHING to do with the animals’ welfare – it’s all about money and real estate. Manhattan real estate is very valuable and developers have their eyes on the redevelopment of the west side. NYCLASS was founded by a real estate developer who wants the land the horse stables currently occupy for his Hudson Yards/Hell’s Kitchen real estate development project.

The anti-Horse Carriage group has eloquent speakers on their side and the new mayor in their pocket. In light of the more than $1.5 million NYCLASS spent on getting di Blasio elected, is it any surprise he wants to return this political favor first? It’s always good to see politicians tackling the pet projects of special interest groups that made significant campaign contributions on their first day in office. It’s worth noting that NYCLASS also poured hundreds-of-thousands of dollars into an effort promoting candidates in eight City Council races … the very same City Council that will be voting on this issue.

The new mayor campaigned with the promise of jobs for New Yorkers. Now he wants to ban the carriage horses ... putting horses, drivers, stable custodians, and support staff out of work. He's also sending any movie or television production company elsewhere if they want to use a horse and carriage in their production. More jobs lost, and less dollars flowing into NYC. It doesn't make economic sense for the city.

NYCLASS animal activists don't care about the reality of what happens to the horses. They chant and hold up signs for the cameras but they have no involvement in the care or rescue of horses. These gallant creatures will likely be slaughtered when the businesses close down.

Again, this is not about cruelty to horses … it’s all about money and real estate. Many cities, New York included, owe their existence to the noble horse drawn vehicle. How quickly this contribution is being forgotten. There should be a place here for generations to see how things moved before the pollution spewing internal combustion engine took over. But welcome to modern-day America, where activists buy elections and then get to dictate to the rest of us.

Organizations in league with NYCLASS include:
ASPCA - donated over $450,000 between 2008-2011 to NYCLASS
ED SAYRES - CEO of the ASPCA and co-founder and co-president of NYCLASS
PETA - partner organization
HSUS - partner organization
MAYORS ALLIANCE FOR NYC ANIMALS - Jane Hoffman, Executive Director. She is also the Treasurer of NYCLASS
ANIMAL HAVEN - Archie Gottesman, President of the Board of Directors and Owner of Edison Properties
STEVE NISLICK - co-president and co-founder of NYCLASS and CEO of Edison Properties (parent company of Edison ParkFast and Manhattan Mini Storage)
MANHATTAN MINI STORAGE - funded PETA’s anti-carriage-horse campaign featuring Lea Michele

Ban horse drawn carriages? That would be losing part of the soul of New York City!

FYI: Statement by Blue Star Equiculture,a sanctuary for retired and homeless draft horses.

And for your viewing pleasure: Remember who you are …

[ridesthemiles]

Lots of jobs will be lost, but the Mayors buds will get a shot at the prime Real Estate that the carriage houses and stables now sit on.”””””

BINGO !!!!!!

[ridesthemiles]

How about Branson, Missouri???

[ridesthemiles]

Some people are very good at taking care of their horses, some just don’t have a clue.

I live where there are a great number of retirees. It is rural.

Many here ‘always wanted’ a horse. They came to a rural setting where they could have a horse. But they didn’t know how to really take care of a horse. They didn’t know how often a horse must be fed. They didn’t know the need for clean water—not just ‘water’.

I have had horses as an adult for over 25 years. I joined a couple of ‘riding clubs’ when I moved here & it was a wake up call. I tried to educate some—but it wasn’t easy. I finally just kept an open line to one of the animal control officers, who kept anything I said confidential.

Some of them learned—some didn’t. The animal control department in the County works very hard to educate people, but there isn’t a single year that goes by without horses & other animals being taken away from people who just don’t have a clue. The drop in the economy didn’t help, either.

[ridesthemiles]

I certainly do not know where you got your figures.

I have had horses for over 25 years.

I feed approx 2% of their body weight each day. Hence, a 1000 pound horse will get about 20 pounds of hay. While I admit that the water they intake will add to that, I don’t think that that 20# is increased by over 100%.

I am pretty sure that they excrete more than 1 gallon of urine a day, as I have watched closely the amount of water intake they all use. Such attention to water intake can tell you very quickly of you have some sort of problem &
the horse is off it’s feed”.

When I was competing strongly in long distance events of 25 miles & up, I did use extra supplements, but they were less than a pound which was fed whenever I did a training ride, not daily.

The manure from the boarding stables where I used to board was sold to local nurseries, so that revenue stream will be interrupted.

My horses are in great health, and one I have owned over 24 years is almost 30. I rode her on Saturday and she was pulling me down the trail. I also have a 24 y/o, a 19 y/o, a 10 y/o and a 6 y/o. They all are well cared for & healthy. They get checked by a Vet every year, and get their vaccinations & teeth care, also. A farrier sees them for trimming every 8 weeks or so.

Horses are a lifetime committment. Those who do NOT know what they are talking about should find out some real facts first, IMO.

I do realize that the different breeds of horses are different sizes and how they are used is also a big difference. The 2% of body weight applies across the board, unless you are working them like a horse at the race track. It is not uncommon for a horse to have 3 or 4 feedings a day there.

When I competed, a horse had hay in front of them in the trailer for the entire trip both ways & also had such at base camp. At every stop along the route of the event, feed was abundant, along with water. My events had as many as 10 places where water/hay was available, not counting streams & creeks along the trails.

[miss marmelstein]

I believe the stables are in Central Park. Not sure but that’s what I thought.

[miss marmelstein]

Very nice pictures, thanks!

I’m surprised to see kids cuddling up to those horses. Usually that is completely disallowed by the drivers - because of law suits if the horse does something unanticipated. Monty Python’s Terry Jones, years ago, patted one of those horses and the nag grabbed his jacket, hauled him off the ground and swung him around like a sack of potatoes. Was Terry’s face red!

[nascarnation]

They’ll soon be, well, horsemeat..

After a few years of Comrade diBlasio, a lot of NYers will be thankful for some portions of that...

[redgolum]

It happens.

It typically isn’t the owner of the horses doing it.

[nascarnation]

Great post, and I’d bet there is some serious crony capitalism involved in the “electric powered” tours they Comrade diBlasio is advocating as a substitute.

[Grampa Dave]

First of all, I’m not an enviro nut, and I like horse owners like you. You take care of your horses and their by products in a good manner.

The data came from a UK study, linked below:

:http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/environment-housing-and-planning/countryside/explore-surreys-countryside/looking-after-the-countryside/countryside-advice/horse-care-and-pasture-management/manure-storage-and-disposal-advice

[Alice in Wonderland]

The four remaining stables are all located on the west side of Manhattan near the Hudson River. Clinton Stables is on 52nd Street and Chateau Stables is on 48th Street. I’m not sure which streets the other two are on but they’re in the same area ... an area that is sought for redevelopment by the real estate developers who founded NYCLASS etal., ... and funded the new mayor’s campaign. Once they get the stable properties they’ll go after the other businesses.

If they could kick out an entire community to build Lincoln Center, getting rid of the horses and stables is, for them, child’s play.

[Alice in Wonderland]

The carriage horses of New York City are also cherished and treated well. They are also treated humanely and cared for. Why would you think otherwise?