More Nasty Allegations Surface in Burgeoning New York Carriage Horse Story

By Steven Long

HOUSTON, (Horseback) – Things continue to look up for the New York carriage trade as more revelations  surface indicating its chief critics are fraught with conflicts of interest, possible double dealing and even law enforcement misconduct.

Sunday’s New York Post reported that one of the nation’s most venerable animal welfare groups, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, may have suppressed an independent study four years ago that stated the horses that pull carriages through Central Park, and as far as Times Square are well cared for.

The newspaper was quoting Henry Ruiz, a former NYPD investigator who left the department to work for the ASPCA.

The former ASPCA enforcement officer says the document was suppressed because it did not fit the goal of the organization to banish carriage horses from New York City streets.

Moreover, he charges the carriage drivers were subjects of selective enforcement of the law. Despite its stated position of wanting to drive the carriage trade out of business, by New York law, the ASPCA is charged with enforcing animal welfare statutes.

The newspaper quoted him as saying, “It’s like targeting. It’s like racial profiling.”
“This latest bombshell about the ASPCA’s systematic persecution of our industry confirms what we have been saying about the ASPCA all along,” Eva Hughes told Horseback Online Sunday night. She is vice president of the Horse and Carriage Association of New York City.
 
In nine years working for the ASPCA, Ruiz told the Post, he never witnessed cruelty involving a carriage horse.
 
Ruiz alleges that the ASPCA had specific periods in which it would harass the carriage companies.


 
He told the Post that each year during the Christmas holidays, ASPCA enforcement officers were routinely sent to the cab stand near Central Park where horses and carriages are lined up.
 
“You were supposed to give out at least ten (summonses) that night, he said. “You’re basically targeting people to find something wrong that probably wasn’t there.”
 
The revelations in the morning paper stunned carriage company owners.
 
“Until former Agent Ruiz spoke out about the ASPCA’s actions in the New York Post, the Horse and Carriage Association was completely unaware of these quotas or the positive-but-suppressed independent study of our industry,” Hughes told Horseback.
 
Ruiz left his employment with ASPCA a year ago.
 
“We hope that the New York Attorney General’s Office and other state and city agencies will recognize the gravity of these allegations, and employ their investigation and subpoena powers to uncover what else the ASPCA is hiding from their donors and the public,” Stephen Malone, President of the HCANYC said in the newspaper story.
 
Ruiz blasted his former employer for suspending ASPCA veterinarian Dr. Pamela Corey who had told the media a horse named Charlie had died in pain. She then recanted her statement alleging she was pressured by higher ups in the animal welfare group to make statements which would indicate the horse was possibly mistreated.
 
Results of a necropsy on the horse have not been made public.


 
In late November Horseback Magazine reported the ASPCA may have a significant conflict of interest because its president. Ed Syres is co-president of NY-Class, an animal rights organization dedicated to ending the carriage trade in New York City. The carriage horse association alleges the other president of NY-Class is parking garage owner, Steve Nislick, who they say covets the stable buildings in which their horses are housed for his company Edison Properties.
 
The carriage horse association has filed a formal complaint against the ASPCA and NY-Class.
 
In an unrelated incident Sunday a horse took a tumble in New York’s Grand Army Plaza. The horse and carriage association issued a release following the incident saying the horse was fine and resting comfortably in it’s stall. They claim activists are making a minor incident into a major event.

“The horse was inspected by the ASPCA following his fall and determined to be healthy,” they said in a press release. “It was alert and no worse for his brief moment in the activists’ spotlight.  The carriage industry, to be on the safe side, was calling their private vet as well to inspect the horse.” 

“He stumbled, lay quietly until he was untangled, and got to his feet.  Since he was uninjured he was re-harnessed and driven home safely.  He is being seen by his regular vet, having been cleared by the ASPCA,” Malone said

Video and photos of the incident confirmed that the horse remained calm and was helped to his feet, unharmed.  It is standard training for driving horses to remain calm should they become entangled in their harness so as to minimize injury to themselves or others. 

“The driver of the horse and other drivers of carriages – and the horse himself – all did what they were supposed to do in this type of situation,” said Malone.  He added that this type of stumble, while rare, was not unheard of.  “Thousands of horses trip and fall in their fields every day, or fall jumping over fences, but they don’t make the local news.  The carriage industry in New York City is such a public institution that a horse can sneeze funny and some activist is in our faces with a camera to post footage to YouTube.”

“But the press releases and pamphlets from the anti-carriage-horse activists will all claim that this horse ‘collapsed’ rather than tripped.  These radical animal rights people just live for moments like this. They’re giddy over it. I see they’ve already copyrighted the video.”

A group called Win Animal Rights posted a video of the horse on You Tube showing carriage workers attempting to free it from its harness as it lay quietly on the city street. The soundtrack indicates a distraught woman cursing as she taped the incident and then ordering workers trying to help the horse to get out of the way so she could get pictures of the downed animal. After the horse got up looking fine the woman was silent.

In a late report to Horseback Online, the carriage horse association detailed the incident saying, “According to the driver of the horse who tripped and fell today – he had small children in his carriage and he was trotting the horse around the corner onto 59th St.

to expose them as little as possible to the photos of slaughtered horses (not carriage horses!) and dead horses, and to WAR’s foul-mouthed cursing and chanting and screaming, so they wouldn’t be frightened by the anti-carriage-horse protesters.

The horse, trotting, took a bad step around the corner and fell… all because of the protesters, who then captured the incident on film.”

16 comments for “More Nasty Allegations Surface in Burgeoning New York Carriage Horse Story

  1. Heather Clemenceau
    December 11, 2011 at 10:16 pm

    “The horse, trotting, took a bad step around the corner and fell… all because of the protesters”

    I can’t see from this explanation how protesters, or even supporters for that matter, can be held responsible for a horse tripping and falling. These horses are pretty bomb-proof – if the horse tripped, it tripped, as it could do any other time of the day. Perhaps it’s not shod correctly? Toes too long? Who knows. The horse fell – to attribute it to protesters, unless they jumped out in front of him, is without merit.

  2. LGriffith
    December 8, 2011 at 9:49 pm

    I wonder the same. If the stables were original to the Park, why not rebuild them? Unless some arcane language keeps it from happening.

  3. D. Verret
    December 7, 2011 at 1:06 am

    Let’s try this again……….

    If they (the powers that be), put stables in…and then rip them out….they can certainly put them BACK!!!!!!

    I am fed up with that conversation…..evidently, there ain’t none.

  4. Susan
    December 5, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    Any news when the necropsy on the horse that died will be available to the public?

    • admin
      December 5, 2011 at 11:06 pm

      We expect it soon.

      The Editor

  5. LGriffith
    December 5, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    I’m just going to wade in here and say, while the conflicts of interest are troubling, I wonder if the carriage horses would be so well kept if the spotlight wasn’t on them continuously?

    I’d also like to know if there are sprinklers in those buildings/stables the horses are in? Are there people there 24/7 and what, if any, plans do they have in case a fire does happen? In addition, I’d like to know if every horse has enough stall room to lie down comfortably. I did see pictures of a few horses linked through another article but there were pictures of only a few of the horses in stall that seemed to be of sufficient size.

    And honestly, at this point, I’m not sure I believe anyone.

    I’d love to see them in new stables in Central Park. Maybe Mr. Nislick could help the city build new stables there in return for consideration on the buildings the horses live in now?

    • admin
      December 5, 2011 at 10:42 pm

      The carriage horse association tells Horseback that Central Park is unfortunately out of the question because it is a historical landmark that can’t be changed.

      The Editor

      • D. Verret
        December 6, 2011 at 11:18 pm

        If they can “REMOVE” stables…they can certainly put them back.

        Or did I get the removal part wrong?

        Look into to that tooo………

  6. Eric Nix
    December 5, 2011 at 8:28 pm

    The woman video taping the efforts to free the horse should in My opinion be called into account for getting in the way.

  7. December 5, 2011 at 4:52 pm

    I am glad that the horse is ok and not hurt.

    • admin
      December 5, 2011 at 4:55 pm

      We agree. We ride two horses that are, like some humans, just plain clumsy. That doesn’t mean they are ill.

      The Editor

    • December 5, 2011 at 5:35 pm

      Yes – we are all sooooooooo relieved that he was fine and unharmed. The horse and his people also demonstrated why the Central Park carriage horses are some of the best horses in the world – he remained calm and composed, and trusted his people to get him out of his predicament without injury or damage.

      • admin
        December 5, 2011 at 7:54 pm

        We urge everyone to look at the video mentioned at the end of the article. It is a textbook example of the proper way to handle a situation like that even while outsiders were attempting to interfere.

        The Editor

  8. Sandra
    December 5, 2011 at 11:29 am

    Thank You!

  9. Joe
    December 5, 2011 at 9:28 am

    Steven Long

    Thank you for doing a complete investigation into the New York carriage horse business. You made a good point about it being caused by greed and the Animal Rights wanting to stop the business becaus it is cruel.

    “According to the driver of the horse who tripped and fell today – he had small children in his carriage and he was trotting the horse around the corner onto 59th St. to expose them as little as possible to the photos of slaughtered horses (not carriage horses!) and dead horses, and to WAR’s foul-mouthed cursing and chanting and screaming, so they wouldn’t be frightened by the anti-carriage-horse protesters. The horse, trotting, took a bad step around the corner and fell… all because of the protesters, who then captured the incident on film.”

    Thank you Steve for the well written article… Joe

    • emma perry
      December 13, 2011 at 10:15 pm

      Idealistically, yes we all want horses to be free roaming in a lovely pasture grazing at leisure. First of all, NYC horses are brought to from auctions or by donation. They would otherwise be sent beside thousands of others on a long trip to slaughter in Mexico or Canada. NYC carriage horses are rotated to an upstate NY farm for R&R. I lived across the street from the stable where these horses are kept. At no time were they ever abused or neglected. Neighborhood kids would bring them carrots and apples before their daily rounds. Horses are work animals. They are a hardy breed who can work heavy loads in all weather. Pulling a carriage in NYC or Rome is hardly considered work. DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ!, the ASPCA and the Humane Society are doing a fine job keeping them safe and healthy. Let’s focus on maintaining laws that will continue to monitor humane treatment for all animals whatever their destiny. Peace

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