Debate Over Horse-Drawn Carriages in Central Park Continues

Last Sunday, a few protesters from the Win Animal Rights (WAR) movement gathered near Central Park holding signs against horse-drawn carriages that cater to Central Park tourists. One sign says, "Romantic? Bleeding Horse Still Working". There is a renewed passion to end the use of horse-drawn carriages after recent reports of horses collapsing on the streets. According to Elizabeth Forel, president of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages (CBHDC), the latest horse collapse, was not the second in two weeks but rather the third. On October 28, a horse bucked and nearly hit several taxis after racing along 59th Street. The most recent horse accident occurred Friday, November 4, during the evening rush hour, on 60th Street and Broadway. A horse named Luke bucked, causing his hind leg to get caught in the carriage's shaft, which led to his fall. On October 23, a 15-year-old horse named Charlie collapsed and dropped dead on West 54th Street and Eighth Avenue while in transit to work. The horse had been licensed to work in August. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was recently quoted in the New York Times as saying that: "They're well taken care of. The horses here are supervised by the health department, the A.S.P.C.A."