Central Park Horse Carriage Rides Are Not Ethical

Horses are not here to use to for transportation or food. Please help end this form of animal cruelty. It will only take five minutes out of your day. All you have to do is sign the petition.

https://www.change.org/p/https-www-aspca-org-ban-central-park-horse-carriages

Though these horse carriage rides are viewed as romantic and are glamorized, the truth is much harsher. This ban has been tried more than once before yet no positive impact has been made. The horses need our help. They're forced to work in terrible weather conditions. No horse should should be pulling over 200lbs. The busy streets of NY are loud and horses are extremely sensitive. There have been numerous car crashes due to these horse carriage rides. The horses are not safe and they are not taken care of adequately. One instance where a horse collapses out of exhaustion is one too many. It's unfortunate that there has been more than one instance where horses and humans were hurt because of these carriage rides. Though I am sure not all horse carriage drivers treat their horses poorly, these are not the conditions in which horses can maintain a healthy life. The horses have no voice to stick up for themselves. Though they should spend 16-18 hours active, it should be in a field rather than in a bustling city.

It gets even worse. The horses that are no longer able to carry the heavy load are sent to slaughterhouses where they are killed and their meat sold to zoos and for human consumption. No animal should be consumed by humans. We are not designed to eat flesh. Horses should be enjoying their lives in hay. They are not alive to please us.

Walking around Central Park is much better than a horse carriage ride. There is plenty of sightseeing and statues all around the park that you can get a close view of if you are on foot. There are Citibikes and regular bikes as well that you can ride around the park. There are even bike tours which is a healthier option for all.

Animal cruelty cannot be justified. All animals deserve to live happy, healthy lives in greenery where they will thrive. The banning of horse carriage rides will only force people to be more active and healthy. The horses will live happier lives as well. The pollution and fumes that the horses inhale daily deteriorate their health. They have no escape if it becomes too much. This is not only a NYC issue, but a St. Louis issue as well. Thankfully, London, Beijing, Paris, and Toronto have banned horse carriage rides. I can only hope that everyone else follows in their footsteps and puts an end to this animal cruelty once and for all.