NEW YORK (AP) - The horse-drawn carriages that clip clop around Central Park could be banned under City Council legislation to be introduced at the urging of animal advocates who say the horses are treated inhumanely.The horse drawn carriages are really a significant part of Central Park. When we walked over to the park from Carnegie Hall last June we saw them lined up waiting for fairs on W. 59th Street (Central Park South). I had four kids with me and was going to buy everyone a ride, but the operator told me they have a four person limit and since it was getting dark, I didn't want to stand around there waiting for them to get back.
Councilman Tony Avella, who plans to introduce the bill next Wednesday, said the horses that have entertained tourists and New Yorkers for decades are exposed to cruel conditions and are at risk of injury or death as they weave through city traffic.
In September, a horse died after it was spooked by street musicians with drums and bolted down Central Park South. It was the second such incident in less than two years.
"This situation is only getting worse - the animals are not being treated properly, and enough is enough," Avella said. "Horses are incompatible with traffic - especially midtown traffic."
It is not clear how much support his bill has in the 51-member council, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg said last week that the horses are cared for and should stay as a New York City fixture.
"These are things that the tourists like and New Yorkers like and they define a city," he said.
The Horse & Carriage Association of New York issued a scathing statement in response to the proposal, stating that the city's carriage horses are in excellent health and Avella "is the one who should be put out to pasture."
The horses seem well cared for and seemed to mind the traffic a lot less than I did. I think it would be a shame to take them out of service because a handful of animal rights nuts can't handle it.
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