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The bill to ban carriage horses in NYC is to be introduced in the city council this Monday, December 8th.
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Though my daughter and I had other plans, (its my birthday) we feel it necessary to stand up for the horses and the people who care for them. There will be a rally for horses and drivers at the steps of City Hall on Monday starting at 12:45 PM. It is important for all who embrace the principles of connection and working partnership with animals to attend and support this positive event to save livelihoods and ultimately, horses lives.
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For me, this personally marks the first time in life of going against "my people," so to speak. But, as previously stated, one cannot support what some have turned the Animal Rights movement into in recent years, particularly and notably on this issue.
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Instead of being a cause to protect the lives and rights of animals to co-exist in our world, parts of the AR movement have seemingly morphed into something else -- something some might argue is the actual opposite of these goals. -- A cause for arguing for "humane death" of animals in order to "prevent their (perceived) suffering."
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The argument that animals are "better off dead" than to be clip clopping through a park or to be in any way, "owned" or worked with by humans is an argument for extinction and flies in the face of most animals' needs to have purpose, place, duty, routine and connection in life.
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While the latter is particularly true of animals domesticated by humans over thousands of years (especially dogs and horses), it is also true of wild animals as anyone whose observed the intricacies of the social orders of virtually all herd, pack, pride, flock or colony animals, from wild geese and ducks to feral cats and dogs.
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Not only do such, "better off dead" arguments raise question regarding the (presumably, depressive) psychological conditions of those crusading for killing (or in the case of PETA, actually conducting "humane euthanasia" on healthy animals they feel "better off dead"), but they also appear to reflect a dim view of the very animals the proponents supposedly speak for.
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Unless laying on a couch all day or standing around in a pasture with nothing to do, the animals' lives are apparently not worth living. Rather, (according to AR extremists), animals like horses, dogs and cats seem to present or contribute no real value to the planet and any "use" or enjoyment by humans is "abuse" or "coincidental." (Actual words.)
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I do not share such warped, dismissive and depressive view.
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The carriage horses of Central Park have virtually all of the things necessary for a happy and fulfilling life (for domestic horses, that is) and more. They have purpose, place, partnership, routine, duty and connection to life and people. Moreover, they are protected from predators, receive veterinary care, nutritious food, shelter and much in the way of human attention and even love. Indeed, the horses even have guaranteed retirement when past the age of pulling carriages in NYC as represented by (but not limited to), Blue Star Equiculture https://www.facebook.com/equiculture.
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While difficult to take an adversarial position against some former and respected colleagues in Animal Rights, in the end one must stand up for the animals' right to co-exist with us and yes, in some cases, even partner and work with us when that work is to their ultimate benefit and longevity, as well as our own. -- PCA
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