When you think about horses, where do you imagine them? Nature has shown us that they need room to move and pasture in which to graze. Horses are social animals and spend much of their time grazing together. New York City carriage horses live and work under conditions far removed from what nature intended and humanity dictates.
Our Position
Facts about New York City's Carriage Horse Industry
What Is the ASPCA's Role in Monitoring Carriage Horses?
Reporting Carriage Horse Cruelty
How You Can Help
Our Position
The ASPCA believes that carriage horses were never meant to live and work in today's urban setting. In addition to the dangers of working in congested areas, these horses spend their days directly behind cars, trucks and buses, inhaling their fumes. Given the constraints and challenges that New York City presents, and as the primary enforcer of New York City's carriage horse laws, the ASPCA does not believe New York City can meet the needs of its horses. Neither the New York City environment nor the current law can provide horses with the fundamental necessities to ensure their safety and well being.
For all of these reasons, the ASPCA is a supporter of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable & Safe Streets (NYCLASS), an organization dedicated to improving New York City's quality of life through education and advocacy. NYCLASS advocates viable alternatives to carriage horses that will not only relieve the City government of its financial burden, but will also avoid the safety and quality of life issues caused by the carriage horse industry.
The ASPCA supports Intro. 86, Councilmember Melissa Mark-Viverito's legislation to phase out carriage horses in New York City, replacing horse drawn carriages with electric powered classic cars. These cars can provide rides for tourists, offer jobs to workers currently in the carriage horse industry and maintain the historic feel of the tours.
Facts about New York City's Carriage Horse Industry
- There are now approximately 204 carriage horses in the city and approximately 300 licensed operators.
- These horses are permitted to work nine hours a day, seven days a week.
- There are no pastures for grazing, no opportunities to roll in the dirt, lie in the sun, run or socialize with an equine companion.
- It is illegal for a driver to operate a carriage when the temperature is 90 degrees F or above, or 18 degrees F or below. No adjustment is made to account for wind chill or the humidity index.
- After three carriage horses died during a heat wave in the summer of 1988, New York City Councilmembers approved a law that greatly restricted when and where these horses were worked. But in 1994, the law was weakened by lengthening the hours that the horses are allowed to work and enlarging the areas in which the horses are permitted to travel including more of traffic-congested midtown Manhattan.
What Is the ASPCA's Role in Monitoring Carriage Horses?
To ensure that carriage horses enjoy a better quality of life, the ASPCA Government Affairs department works on legislation that seeks to improve the health, safety and well-being of all New York City carriage horses
Furthermore, ASPCA equine experts within the Humane Law Enforcement Department exclusively monitor the carriage horses in Central Park—issuing citations for infractions and investigating allegations of abuse and neglect. As long as carriage horses continue to operate, the ASPCA will continue to enforce the law to its full extent.
Reporting Carriage Horse Abuse
A team of equine experts within the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Department monitor the care and working conditions of New York City's carriage and riding horses. Our Agents rely on concerned citizens to report incidents or issues with the care and conditions of NYC's carriage horses that they may witness. The following tips will help you report suspected carriage horse problems:
- The two most important pieces of information to provide are the time of the incident and the carriage license plate, a 4-digit number located on the back of the carriage. With the time and number, we can track down the horse and driver involved.
- Other helpful information can include: color of horse, color of carriage, location of incident and hoof brand number of horse.
- To report carriage horse cruelty or neglect, contact us at enforcement@aspca.org or (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450. After business hours, you will be transferred to a voice messaging system and your call will be returned by an on-duty agent.
How You Can Help
- If you are a resident of NYC, show your support by contacting your Councilmember and asking him or her to support Intro. 86, the humane and safe alternative to the carriage horse industry. If you do not know your councilperson's name, call the ASPCA Government Relations department at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4550.
- If you are from out of town, please write to the mayor to voice your concern and keep updated by visiting our website at ASPCA.org.
- If you witness any abuse to a carriage horse, write down the license plate number found on the back of the carriage, the time and location, along with the color of the horse or any distinguishing markings, and, if possible, the horse's hoof number, which is branded on the front left hoof. Then call (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450, to report it. The ASPCA will promptly alert a Humane Law Enforcement Agent to go to the scene.
For more information on the carriage horse industry, visit NYCLASS. To stay up-to-date on important calls to action, visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center.