Early last year, Jacques started receiving inquiries left and right from concerned horse lovers, wondering whether the New York City carriage horses needed rescuing.
So she came to the city, studied the horses at Central Park, and visited the stables.
“I’ve seen no signs of abuse,” Jacques said.
A 2010 law requires the horses 15-minute breaks for every two hours of work, five weeks of vacation every year, limited working hours, and disallows work above or below certain temperatures. That they are friendly with strangers also shows they are comfortable with people, according to Jacques, which is not the behavior of horses that have been abused.
The frequent walks through Central Park are good for the horses, Jacques said, and they do not need rescuing. About 150,000 horses are slaughtered annually. “If you’ve got 200 homes, I'd like to fill them with horses that are slaughter-bound.”
Stephen Malone, an owner and driver of a horse-drawn carriage, said he would feel betrayed if he was offered a green cab permit. His family has been in the business for 50 years, and he is passionate about the job.
He became emotional at the thought that animal rights groups or the city could take away his horses and sell it somewhere else. “We’re not going anywhere.”
The bill will be given a hearing in the Transportation Committee, and chair Rodriguez said he believes both sides can come to a “win-win” agreement that both removes horses from streets and provides adequate alternative employment.
