Embattled NY carriage horse industry gets support from Jersey visitors

Carriage horse stable open house draws people interested in seeing the conditions under which the animals live as a ban of the industry is in the works

A group of New Jersey equestrians visited the largest of New York City's carriage horse stables last weekend to check out conditions, then voiced support for embattled drivers facing possibility of a ban that would take their animals off the streets of Manhattan in the name of what proponents call humane considerations.

"These horses are enjoying their job," concluded equine veterinarian Diane Simoncini of Allentown, who wanted to see the animals at Clinton Park Stables west of 11th Avenue for herself before drawing a conclusion about a controversy that has become a hot topic beyond the borders of New York.

"I'm very impressed. These horses are happy, not stressed." Were it not for the carriage business, she believes, they'd be plowing fields for the Amish or sold for meat.
Rich Osborn, who operates a horse-drawn carriage business in Cream Ridge, observed, "Their horses all looked in good shape, very content and well-groomed. You can tell these horses love their people."

There are 160 carriage drivers, with 100 more people employed caring for the horses. They are seeking the backing of equestrians from the metropolitan area and elsewhere in an effort to keep their livelihood. Their mission has been supported by resolutions from both the New Jersey Horse Council and its counterpart in New York.

An animal welfare group, NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets) is working hard to get the ban passed by the city council. The organization's president is Steve Nislick, an animal welfare activist who is the former CEO of Edison Properties, which owns parking garages and storage facilities.

Asked why he started the effort to get the horses off the street, Nislick responded, "I've been a rider for 25 years and I live on Central Park West and I've seen it (the carriage business) for years. If you care anything about animals or horses, this is a very painful experience for horses.

"It was not what was intended for a horse, to be in the middle of midtown traffic and crammed into tiny stalls and work nine hours a day and trotted down 10th avenue through potholes and red lights and through Columbus Circle. It's just not the life that a horse was intended to live and there's no reason for it," he said.

Those who visited the horses at Clinton Park, the city's largest stable with 79 residents, found them to be perky, friendly, in good flesh and well-groomed, fed on grain formulated to fuel the job they do. Their stalls are smaller than those enjoyed by Nislick's horses at a high-end stable in Tewksbury Township, but they're just as clean and well-bedded. Board is $1,300 a month.

The building was constructed as a stable in the 19th century, then became a warehouse before reverting to its original use. A group of 15 drivers purchased it to insure they would have a place to keep their horses and to make sure a landlord wouldn't force them out.

"Our business can't really be relocated to less-expensive real estate, because we have to be close to Central Park," explained manager Conor McHugh, like many of the drivers, a native of Ireland.

The land becomes more valuable every year, and McHugh noted, "We think that's one of the reasons that suddenly a lot of real estate developers are anti-carriage horse. It seems strange to us that a bunch of real estate developers seem so concerned about our horses. This has been going on for years, but it's only in the last four, five or six years that big money got involved in it."

Nislick insists that neither he nor anyone else involved with NYCLASS is interested in buying the stables.

Some, however, are skeptical.

Demos Demopoulos, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 533, which represents the drivers, recalled a meeting several years ago among himself, one of the union lobbyists and Nislick, in an attempt to "find some common ground."

Nislick, said Demopoulos, "knew the square footage of every single stable better than my guys that own the stables."

Eva Hughes, a former driver married to a current driver who owns two horses, said that while the city's four carriage horse stables could go for a lot of money, "that should be everybody's best clue, that we haven't sold is because we want to stay and do what we do. We're horsemen."

Carriage industry proponents note that although the horses don't get turned out during their time in the city, the business is highly regulated and each animal gets an annual vacation of five weeks out to pasture in the country. Their teeth are attended to twice yearly, and they receive veterinary care, including vaccinations. Horses are not allowed to work when it's colder than 19 degrees or hotter than 89 degrees.

As the debate continues, the pro-carriage contingent feels the tide may be turning. A Quinnipiac University poll released last week showed that 64 percent of New Yorkers disagree with the concept of a ban; 24 percent support it.

NYCLASS's executive director, Allie Feldman, is unfazed by the numbers, however. Comparing them to the unfavorable way the ban on smoking in restaurants and bars polled during the Bloomberg administration, which eventually implemented it, she said, "that was an unequivocal success. Banning the use of inhumane carriages for a tiny segment of New York's tourist population is no different."

"We don't particularly care what happens to the stables. They're private property and they can do with them what they want. It's just a distraction from the real issue, which is trying to get these horses off the streets," she said..

"The issue is not about the stables for us. The issue is about the inhumanity of having horses working in dangerous midtown traffic. Why continue to perpetuate this unsafe, outdated industry when you have a modern alternative that can provide a wonderful experience for everybody?"

That would be electric touring cars, styled to look like antique vehicles, circa 1909. A prototype of the $150,000 vehicle is still being put together at the Creative Workshop, a car restoration and coach building business in Dania Beach, Fla. NYCLASS envisions the drivers swapping their carriage medallions for car medallions and spending $1,700 a month to pay off the vehicles, which Feldman said likely would be phased in over a three-year period. The idea is to make sure that drivers aren't out of work once the horses leave.

Drivers don't like that alternative.

The electric car proposal was made without any input from the carriage drivers, according to Demopoulos.

The cars haven't found favor with the drivers, Demopoulos said, because, "the whole idea is the horse. There are so many easier ways to make a living, but these guys work hard at what they love doing, which is working with the horses. We're hearing from the tourists they're not interested in going in an electric car. If you are riding in a carriage, as soon as you enter the park, it's quiet, all you hear is the clip-clop of the horse. It really is fantastic."

Both sides have enlisted prominent people to their cause. Actor Liam Neeson visited the stables and voiced his support for the horse owners and their business, calling on new Mayor Bill de Blasio to visit the stables, an invitation that hasn't been accepted.

NYCLASS helped fund the effort to derail mayoral candidate Christine Quinn, who was a proponent of keeping the carriages. During his campaign, de Blasio made banning horse-drawn carriages a priority, saying it would be his first act after taking office. So far, no legislation has been brought forward.

Singer/actress Pink, the newest recruit of NYCLASS, years ago appeared on a Times Square billboard sponsored by one of NYCLASS' partner organizations, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to support a carriage ban.

Saying she grew up on her aunt's farm caring for horses, Pink characterized the carriage animals as having to "endure a miserable, solitary life" and promised to adopt one if the ban goes through.

Feldman said NYCLASS has a long list of potential adopters of the horses. A carriage ban bill that didn't pass a previous city council called for the horses to be retired and not ridden or driven. At this point, Feldman said, any new bill would not prohibit the horses being used by those who take them, but NYCLASS doesn't want them moved to another city's carriage trade. However, it would be up to the horses' owners to decide what would happen to them.

There is little call for horses as lawn ornaments. Horses without jobs are in jeopardy. Tough economic times have increased the surplus of homeless horses, and most rescues are dealing with heavy demand. Organizations placing horses have to be vigilant to make sure they are not sold to wind up at auction, where they could be bought for slaughter.

Hope Greenfield, a Long Valley stable owner who once was a partner in a horse with Nislick, said "I totally disagree with Steve," asking, "what's going to happen to these horses if they're not carriage horses?" She believes they could wind up at a slaughter house.

"I grew up in New York and I've always seen the carriage horses. I think it's naive to think if you get rid of the carriage horses, they have a better life."

Several leading equestrians are listed among those supporting the ban, but they may not have understood the cause to which they were lending their names. Among them is 4-star eventer Doug Payne, who said the NYCLASS demands are "a little more extreme than I ever expected it would be."

A few years ago, he rode a horse for Nislick, who asked him, " `Would you mind supporting this? We just want to increase the welfare for these carriage horses,' " Payne recalled.

"My understanding was they wanted a period of time when they (the horses) were on a farm and had vacation. Clear elimination to me does not seem like a rational conclusion to draw from it. In general, as I understand it, they're pretty well cared-for. Walking along isn't exactly the most stressful thing for a horse."

Feldman declined to give a timeline for phasing out the horses.

"All of a sudden, they're not so anxious to introduce the bill," contended Demopoulos.
"I think everybody is really taking notice as to what the feelings are of the people in the city."

Tourist Laura Zukowski of Long Island was smiling broadly after getting out of a carriage following a tour of the park last Sunday.

"It's such a nice, calm easy ride. We had a wonderful driver and the horse seemed to be sweet and calm," she said.

Asked how she feels about the idea that the carriages might be banned, she replied, "I think it's horrible. I can't imagine New York City without the carriage horses. It's such a part of New York history."

ON THE RAIL -- Great Britain's Ben Maher, who rarely produces anything less than a clear round, had a 4-fault trip last night on Urico in the jump-off of the $100,000 Engel and Volckers Grand Prix at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

He had to settle for sixth after a string of victories, as Lauren Hough took the top spot on Bockman's Lazio with a fault-free trip in 45.64, more than a second slower than Maher's mark of 44.56. But leaving the poles in place is what counts.

Laura Kraut was only 1.02 seconds slower than Hough, riding one of her newer mounts, Nouvelle, to finish as runner-up.

Young riders Lucy Davis (Barron) and Lillie Keenan (Pumped Up Kicks) had clear but slower trips to finish third and fourth respectively and continue the march of U.S. show jumping's next generation making its mark.

Seven entries were fault-free from a field of 45 to qualify for the jump-off, but Ramiro Quintana elected not to come back with Whitney.

The most heartbreaking miss in the initial round was Eric Lamaze's single time fault on Zigali PS, after he lost a rein and had to make a wide turn as he got it back, failing to hit the 85-second time allowed.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Today: Tewksbury Farms Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Road, Neshanic Station; Changewater Stables Show, 483 Route 519, Stewartsville.
Friday: CJL Farm Show, Duncraven, 1300 Trenton Harbourton Road, Titusville (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Dressage Schooling Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; Amwell Valley Pony Club's Shaggy Horse Show, Alexandria Park, 242 Little York-Mt. Pleasant Road, Milford.
Next Sunday: Woodedge Show, 116A Borton Landing Road, Moorestown; Bunny Hop Competitive Trail Ride, BBB Gun Club & Northbranch Gun Club, 180 City Line Rd, Pemberton. Call (201) 970-6888 for information.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@comcast.net.