Ending the abuse for carriage horses | Episode 47

On August 10, 2022, a carriage horse named Ryder collapsed on a hot New York City street and instantly became the symbol for a growing movement.

Ryder was found to be a decade older than he should have been according to regulations, when he dropped to his side, requiring a spray of cold water to revivify him. He was emaciated and, it was later discovered, ill with cancer. Liberated at last from having to pull tourists around a crowded metropolis of cars, buses and trucks, he was sent to a privately owned farm. Retirement was short, however, and he had to be euthanized just a couple of weeks ago.

As sad as his fate, however, many former carriage horses face an even worse end. Those who are no longer of use to the industry often are sold for slaughter and must endure a terrifying trip to Canada or Mexico, where they are killed and butchered for their meat.

Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, NYClass, Revolution Philadelphia and other groups are working hard to convince municipalities to do away with carriage-horse rides and the animal-suffering they entail. Part of their argument is that electric carriages are now available, able to preserve the tourist experience of slow, open-air views of cities and the jobs of people driving the carriages. Invest in the e-carriages, say the advocates, and you can preserve the tourist attractions and at the same time eliminate cruelty.

This episode brings together several experts with vast experience advocating for horses and championing solutions to their systemic abuse. Joining host Joseph Grove in this episode of the Animal Wellness Podcast are:

• Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action
• Kate Schultz, senior attorney for the Center for a Humane Economy and a former New York City prosecutor who specialized in animal-abuse cases
• Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYClass, a group that is among leading the movement to ban horse-carriages and in New York and replace them with electric alternatives
• Tiffany Stair, co-founder of Revolution Philadelphia and a vocal antagonist to the city’s carriage-horse industry.

You can learn more about the organizations they represent here:

• Animal Wellness Action
• Center for a Humane Economy
• NYClass website
• NYClass Facebook
• Revolution Philadelphia Facebook

 

Music from https://filmmusic.io: "Fearless First" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com); License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)