Mayor-elect de Blasio has vowed to ban carriage horses in the city, having previously made it one of his earliest campaign pledges. And though many animal rights activists are anxiously awaiting the end of the controversial industry, it appears tourists are flocking to the carriage horses before they become future relics.
Out-of-towners have been making their way to Central Park in droves lately, according to the Daily News, hoping to get a ride on a horse-drawn carriage before the practice potentially ends. "You see them in movies and TV shows. You want to come here and experience it. They are such a part of New York, of the park," Brenda Shannon, a tourist from Belfast, told the tabloid. "People love them."
But as beloved as they may be to visitors, many activists, including de Blasio, say the industry is inhumane and should be abolished. "We are going to get rid of the horse carriages. Period,” he said at a press conference addressing school chancellor pick Carmen Farina this morning. "It’s over." A spokesperson for animal rights organization NYCLASS tells us, "These horses are not performing a public service. They are abused animals housed in unsanitary conditions and worked in an unsafe environment for the benefit of a tiny segment of New York tourists. Every public opinion poll shows that the vast majority of New Yorkers believe carriage horses should be banned. Real New Yorkers, not tourists."
Carriage horses have been a hot topic for a few years now, with numerous incidents involving spooked horses, horse collapses, collisions with cabs, and even alleged abuse and inhumane treatment, all calling attention to the industry. Supporters of the industry say banning carriage horses would cost hundreds of operators their jobs, though de Blasio says he'll help drivers obtain alternate tourist-friendly vehicles for them to operate in the future... like an eco-friendly Model T?
