Public Voices for the New York City Carriage Horses

Crocodile horse tears (January 27, 2016: New York Daily News)

Flushing: I’m sick and tired of the endless sob stories about the poor carriage horses. One Voicer even had the gall to call the industry the “enslaving of beautiful creatures.” Do these Voicers think about the people out of work and those on the edge of losing their jobs? Visit a shelter to see children living in far worse conditions than these horses? Maybe they would like us to put the horses up at the Plaza Hotel with someone to wave palm fronds over them so they don’t even have to wave a tail to keep the flies away? For centuries, horses have lived and worked beside man and for man because that’s their calling in life. Horses pulled the stones to build the pyramids, dragged chariots across the desert and fought in the battles of Rome. Horses froze with the men at Valley Forge, died on the field of Gettysburg and pulled the Conestoga wagons across this whole country. They pull the plows for farmers planting and harvesting. Our horses have roofs over their head, food to eat and veterninary care. They are well taken care of so that they can have pride and dignity, just like their ancestors, in knowing they are doing their job, whatever that job may be. Leave the horses alone, people. There are many and plenty who need our help, and obviously the horses don’t. Let the people enjoy the horses and the horses enjoy the people. Of all the problems facing our city, state and country today, I would think the plight, such as it is, of the carriage horses is pretty far down on the list. Dee Principe