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In its ongoing effort to cripple the Mayor’s plan to ban horse-drawn carriages from the streets of NYC, the Daily News, one of city’s top three papers, has created increasingly ludicrous news hooks to shift public opinion.

Last week, the Daily News reported that a Franciscan priest not only “delivered a brief equine prayer and splashed a bit of holy water on every horse’s mane” but also “saved enough water to deliver a blessing for the carriages and hay stored in the stables.”

Objective news organization? Most certainly not!

In May, the Daily News used a scare tactic:

The stories have been so ridiculous that some readers think, at first glance, that they’re satire. One reader wrote, “The Daily News has become The Onion.”

The public doesn’t know why the Daily News has compromised its credibility by using its opinion and news pages to advocate for the horse-drawn carriage trade, but some speculate that it’s an underhanded way to discredit the Mayor.

In the weeks leading up to the 2013 election, the Daily News frequently published mean-spirited stories about the progressive Mr. de Blasio in an attempt to derail his candidacy. Now that he’s Mayor, the “news” organization appears to be using his support of a ban on carriages as an ongoing hook to discredit him.

Logo included in each NY Daily News story promoting horse carriage trade

Horse-drawn carriages cannot be operated humanely or safely in NYC for many reasons – from the congested city streets where they work to the lack of a pasture when they can graze, move freely and interact with other horses, as herd animals do. To learn more about the plight of the carriage horses and join the fight, please visit the Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages and NY-CLASS.

Do horse-drawn carriages belong in Times Square?

One week after NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “There’s tremendous support in the City Council” for banning horse-drawn carriages, a NYC lawmaker who would normally oversee legislation relating to the carriage business held a press conference opposing the Mayor’s plan.

“For over 150 years, the horse carriage industry has grown to employ 300 drivers, blacksmiths and stable workers,”  said Council Member Rafael Espinal. The stables, he says “have been modernized with top of the line equipment to make sure that each horse is healthy and safe.”

Note: Even if the stables were adequate, that wouldn’t change the fact that the horses work in the congested streets of NYC; have no access to a pasture; and are denied the ability to do anything that comes naturally to them.

Ironically, the press conference took place just a couple hours after a carriage driver who had been charged with “torturing and injuring animals” made an appearance in criminal court just a few blocks away.

Thirty activists with NY-CLASS attended the press conference and held signs: “Espinal is on the Wrong Side of History.”

Espinal Supports NYC Carriage Trade Photo: Juliet Papa

The road to banning horse-drawn carriages has been paved with more speed bumps than anticipated, with the Teamsters Union, Working Families Party, New York Daily News, carriage owners and actor Liam Neeson working aggressively to keep horse-drawn carriages in NYC.

The Mayor, who has consistently reaffirmed his support of a ban, faces an uphill battle, and he needs the help of those of us who support his position. Please visit NY-CLASS, which leading the fight at City Hall, to see how you can help.

Eighty animal rights activists descended upon NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s mansion for a protest, but the media homed in on one: 92-year old Natasha Brenner. The Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages organized the protest to pressure the Mayor into fulfilling his campaign promise to end horse-drawn carriage rides in midtown Manhattan. Ms. Brenner, who has participated in hundreds of animal rights protests over the years and has been an articulate and staunch advocate for the horses, told reporters that “nothing would keep her away” and that she won’t back down until horses are “no longer pulling carriages in the streets of New York City.”

Natasha Brenner speak to the press (photo: Donny Moss)

NYC’s animals are lucky to have Natasha Brenner as an advocate, and NYC’s activists are lucky to have her as a role model.

In a letter to NYC Council Members, the Working Families Party (WPF) has taken sides in the heated battle between opponents and supporters of NYC’s infamous horse-drawn carriage trade: “We stand in solidarity with horse carriage workers who play a pivotal role in generating millions of dollars in revenue as one of the top three tourist attractions in the city.”  NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio continues to support a ban on horse-drawn carriages for humane and safety reasons, but he has not yet taken any steps to do so since taking office in January.

First of all, horse-drawn carriages are not “one of the top three tourist attractions” in the city. Not even close. Is the Working Families Party familiar with Broadway, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lincoln Center, the Statue of Liberty, the Highline, the Empire State Building and the 911 Memorial — all of which attract far more tourists than the rickety horse-drawn carriages on 59th St? That is the first of many inaccuracies about the horse-drawn carriage trade in their uninformed letter to the City Council. The WFP members who are advocating to keep horse-drawn carriages in NYC, which doesn’t even have a pasture, will one day come to the realization that they are on the wrong side of history. In the meantime, someone should inform them that horses are not inanimate objects, as suggested in their letter: it is “horses WHO are an important part…” not horses THAT are an important part…” If you or anyone else still questions the rationale for banning horse-drawn carriages from Manhattan, please see the award-winning documentary film BLINDERS.

The NYC Dept. of Consumer Affairs revoked the ­license of Saverio Colarusso, a horse-drawn carriage driver who was arrested in December after police officers saw him working his horse “despite a painful injury to its hind leg.” The horse, Blondie, had a bacterial infection known as thrush, according to the vet who examined her.

Photo credit: Donny Moss

When he was elected NYC Mayor at the end of 2013, Bill de Blasio promised to ban horse-drawn carriages for humane and safety reasons. He made bold statements to the press like, “Watch me do it” and “It’s over.” After five months in office, he not yet taken action. To make matters worse, the Daily News and Teamsters labor union have launched a crusade to keep horse-drawn carriages on the streets. In what has become a very challenging time for the local animal rights community, activists welcome the news that a driver has been held accountable for abusing his horse.