By Joan Silaco
I’ve been reading how the carriage horses are being treated. But that’s not the issue here. What people should be asking is what happens when their working days are over. Where do they go? The answer is nowhere. Because they have nowhere to go. That’s why the carriage horse industry is humane.
If the industry puts up money and buys land and pays the drivers the horse’s worth so they can retire them to a retirement sanctuary, then you can call them humane. We all know that only a few horses will see the light of day because most owners want their money’s worth and could care less about the horses. They will sell the horse to the highest bidder. You can’t even follow the money trail because it’s a cash-and-carry business. And what about the horses? The majority are sent to the slaughter house. What’s so iconic about that?
Why should New York City be an enabler to this industry that only breeds this type of horse to make money? There won’t be excess horses because the Amish will either breed less or find another enabler to perpetuate their slave industry. This is not progressive.
Tourists come here for three reasons: restaurants, museum and theater. People may say horses are on their bucket list, but that’s only because they’re in the news. I don’t think that $100 or more for less than an hour’s ride is worth the top three reasons.
Joan Silaco
Queens Village
