Will THIS Finally Be Enough?
Another death in Central Park
Animal rights activists in New York and around the world have been screaming it from the mountaintops for years. “The carriage horse trade is cruel, antiquated, and dangerous. Horse carriages cause traffic accidents. Countless animals have died. And it is just a matter of time before we witness a human death.”
Sadly, that day has come.
This week an 18-year-old man died after falling from horse-drawn carriage in Central Park. He was visiting with his family from India. The driver stepped out of the carriage to take a photo. The horse bolted. The young man is gone.
While I am regularly filled with rage directed at tourists who patronize these horse carriages, I am still horrified and heartbroken for his family. What a senseless tragedy.
This incident comes only a week after the death of Deniz, a carriage horse who collapsed and died in front of horrified onlookers in the park.
Another horse dying was not, and has never been, enough to put an end to this business. The animals are clearly seen as expendable assets.
Today I wonder if the death of a human will be the final straw. Will his life be valuable enough to force change?
Will the NYC government FINALLY pass Ryder’s Law*, a legislative measure that will ban this cruel trade?
*Ryder’s Law is named after one of the NY carriage horses who died. In addition to putting an end to this business, the measure also makes provisions for the retraining of carriage drivers to transition to other jobs.
I hope with every fiber of my being that that it happens. That Mayor Mamdani keeps to his word. That the City Council will finally step up and do the right thing.
Of course, if the measure passes, I will join millions of people around the world and celebrate. I will be able to walk again in Central Park without the heartbreaking sight of these horses being exploited. My blood pressure will not rise as I am filled with resentment for every single patron of the carriages. I will not risk physical altercations with other tourists over this matter. (Yes, I have come close in the past. See below.)
But a part of me will remain sad.
I will be sad that the loss of the lives of so many horses, these beautiful sentient beings, was not enough. That the fight for their rights fell on many deaf ears for many years. That animal rights advocates were, for so long, met with hollow promises that did not materialize.
I will be sad that we have decided some lives are more valuable more than others.
In a vegan world there would be no horses exploited in the park. We would happily walk or bike or take electric carriage rides. Romanticizing the work of animals who are involuntarily drafted into service everywhere would be a thing of the past. We would no longer cling to cruel practices in the name of “tradition”.
Oh, how I long for that day. Will I live long enough to se it? In all probability not. But a girl can dream.
In the meantime, I grieve for Deniz and for the young man. Both lost their lives. Both mattered.
P.S. A HUGE shoutout to the City of Philadelphia. They just banned horse carriages. Please New York, follow their lead!
P.P.S. CHEERS for the release of the last of the Ridglan Farms beagles! And HOORAY for the closure of the breeding and lab facility. Another step toward liberation for all laboratory animals. Marshall BioResources (NY) and MBR (UK)…we’re coming for you!
Until next time, I am…
Begging everyone not to patronize businesses that exploit animals for entertainment (or otherwise).
Imploring you to choose cruelty-free products when you shop.
Asking you to consider adopting a vegan lifestyle. I promise you won’t regret it.
Timely and important post. Everything you write about this atrocious ‘tourist attraction’ is correct. I HATE carriage horse rides with all my bile. I see it in almost every city I visit - Western Europe and USA - and it throws black cloud over things. My heart breaks for the horses and my darkest (as dark as it gets… think about it) wishes are prayed for to fall upon the owner/operators and the tourists who exploit the poor horses.
❤️🐴
Strolling or bicycling through the Park is very nice, I hear. The abuse of these horses needs to stop. In fact, there should also be no such thing as horse or dog races. Animals were not put on this earth for our entertainment.