Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides NYC (NYC Carriage Horse Project)

I've never been more disappointed in a group of people that I have physically, financially and spiritually supported for years.

You are indeed everything your critics say you are.

To focus your attention in a pendantic arrogant way (attention that can be well spent elsewhere) on a kindly blogger who has been blogging away before others ever mobilized their efforts is distasteful, uncompassionate and emblematic of the true people you all represent.

God help the carriage horses, as they will not be saved by all of you. You have proven that with your attitudes. And that revelation breaks my heart.

18-year-old named Horse of the Year

by Nancy Jaffer
Saturday January 17, 2009, 7:22 PM
Nancy Jaffer/

For The Star-Ledger

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Farnam/Platform U.S. Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year honors, a highlight of the organization's annual meeting, went to Jamaica, an 18-year-old Dutchbred who struggled to find a career before hooking up with national champion four-in-hand driver Chester Weber.

Winning the top award is unusual for a horse from a relatively small discipline, as Weber pointed out, and it's also special recognition for an animal who is never in the spotlight alone, but instead shares the stage with the others horses in the team. Jamaica, who has hackney and Dutch harness horse roots, originally was owned by a man in the meat business who had to get the bay gelding off his premises because the animal had a skin problem. The horse's subsequent occupation, pulling a livery carriage for tourists in Belgium, was cut short because he wouldn't stand still without someone holding his reins, a restlessness that persists today, according to Weber, who knew an equine athlete with potential when he saw one.

This year, the horse helped Weber make history as the first American individual medalist at the World Four-in-Hand Championships, where he won a silver medal. Although he's a veteran of six national championships and two World Equestrian Games, Jamaica isn't through yet. Weber is pointing him toward next year's Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky."If somebody ever asked me, 'Would you be banking on a horse that would be 19 for the WEG?' I'd say, 'You're crazy, that's not going to work,'" commented Weber, who attended Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., and went on to major in hotel management at Cornell University before devoting himself to show management and a variety of other equestrian-connected pursuits at his Ocala, Fla., base. "But this horse is tough as nails," observed Weber. "It's been a real honor to share this journey with an unbelievable horse. "He eats, breathes and sleeps competition. He's tougher than I am." Jamaica was chosen as the winner by a membership vote on five "Horses of Honor" from different breeds and disciplines.

http://www.nj.com/sports/njsports/index.ssf/2009/01/18yearold_named_horse_of_the_y.html

The New York Post reports:

BUGGY BUSTER!
DRIVE TO REPLACE HORSES WITH MODEL T'S



By ADAM NICHOLS

Last updated: 3:11 amFebruary 9, 2009 Posted: 3:11 amFebruary 9, 2009
After 82 years, the Model T is set to replace the horse - again.

A city lawmaker wants to phase out controversial buggy-pulling horses and replace them with eco-friendly electric replicas of vintage Model T Fords.

The proposal - which has been pitched by animal-rights activists for months - has been taken up by Councilman Daniel Garodnick (D-Manhattan), who is hoping to put it before the City Council this spring.

"We have been exploring the idea that would essentially create a substitute for the horses," said a source close to Garodnick.

Michael McGraw, a representative of the animal-rights group PETA who has spoken to Garodnick about the proposed bill, said the plan is to develop electric or hybrid cars, which would tour the same park course that horse-drawn buggies use now - and could even be driven by current carriage operators.

"It would be the cutting edge of eco-tourism," he said.
Emotions are running high about horse-drawn carriages after a public hearing last month into a bill to ban them, introduced by Councilman Tony Avella.

The Queens Democrat claims the buggies amount to animal abuse.

"I support the car plan, but we still have to institute the ban and then say to the carriage operators, this is what we want to replace it with," said Avella last week.

"I think the intention is to get the carriage drivers to operate the cars, which would cause the least disruption and take care of the job issue."

Carolyn Daly, a spokeswoman for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York, said Garodnick had promised to speak to the operators' union, Teamsters Local 553.
"The proposal is absolutely absurd," she said.

"These are men and women who have dedicated their lives to horses, who love working with horses, and [Garodnick] thinks they can change to drive electric cars?"

During a Central Park rally yesterday, the carriage operators and their supporters continued to say "neigh" to the proposal banning the carriages.

Additional reporting by Erik Shilling
















http://www.nypost.com/seven/02092009/news/regionalnews/buggy_buster__154260.htm

Ms. Forel - get off your high horse; pardon the pun.

You have a very selective memory Ms. Forel. I've identified myself to you in the past -even shared a letter I wrote to Mayor Bloomberg, Avella and Trump with you. You wrote to me a couple of times in the past and it was cordial. You even referred to my blog in your newsletter.

I take offense to your diva attitude.

My eyes have now been opened to you and your organization.
I will request to be taken off your email list and I will NEVER attend one of your demonstrations again.

I started my blog alone and I will continue to do so.

You are one piece of work!


Protecting the carriage horses is everyone's cause - obviously Ms. Forel sees otherwise.

Here's some proof for you Ms Forel:

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Dear Elizabeth -

Thank you for your kind email. I am honored to come in to contact with dedicated people such as yourself.

Thank you for bringing to my attention the issue of searching for my blog on the internet. I'll think of another title for it, so that it appears more often in casual searches for carriage rides in NYC.

My best to you and I remain relentless in my pursuit to ban carriage horses in NYC.

Yours truly,

______

Elizabeth Forel wrote:
Hello - i was cleaning out my e-mails (phasing out Juno) and came across one of yours, which is probably almost a year old. At that time you asked to be added to e-mail lists about this issue so I have taken the liberty of adding your address to a news letter that I started in September. In this past year, we have had a lot of background work to do regarding our campaign to ban the carriage horse industry from NYC. We now have two web sites and a newsletter and over 8,000 signatures of both tourists and New Yorkers alike.

The most recent newsletter was dated 12/21 - I am taking a break until the end of January.

I also just took a look at your blog - you have been busy! FYI - i have a Google search for "carriage horses" - and your blog has never come up - silly ones have - but not yours? I wonder why that is. The person who oversees my web sites tells me that it is how the search engines work and in your case - they may be hitting the "nyc" first - rather than the word "carriage horse" - just a thought - i am far from an expert. I would not have been aware of your blog - other than the fact you said you had one and I just clicked on the link.


Sincerely,
Elizabeth ForelCoalition for New York City Animals, Inc. - http://www.nycanimals.org/Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages - http://www.banhdc.org/

# posted by Arlington @ 10:14 AM 3 comments