Sorry to intrude on this fine soft evening with unpleasantness, but the simple truth is that our on-going fight with Councilmember Tony Avella (flanked by his coterie of conspirators and his ever-present sidekick band of slavering minions, of course), is being kicked into high gear here in dear old New York.
In a post this coming weekend, I'll be getting into the particulars of the latest salvos fired at our lovely little business (and also divulging a few very interesting tidbits of some of our detractors' behind-the-scenes shenanigans that we have recently uncovered!)
But until then, here is a list of the oft-repeated lies that are making Mr. Avella's nose very long indeed:
TONY AVELLA AND HIS LIST OF LIES
LIE:
"Other major cities across the planet have banned horse drawn carriages."
-Tony Avella, The Brian Lehrer Show 12/11/2007
TRUTH:
The fact is that there are horse drawn carriages in nearly EVERY major city in both the US and Europe.
LIE:
"The horses are forced to walk several miles back to their stables at the end of the day."
-Tony Avella, The Brian Lehrer Show 12/11/2007
TRUTH:
NO carriage stable is further than 1 1/2 mile from the park, and two of them 1/2 mile.
LIE:
"The horses are worked in illegal temperatures."
-Tony Avella, The Brian Lehrer Show 12/11/2007
TRUTH:
The horses are not allowed to work below 18F or above 89F, and there have been NO summonses issued in violation of these laws by any agency in the last 14 years.
LIE:
"The horses are kept in narrow stalls."
-Tony Avella, The Brian Lehrer Show 12/11/2007
TRUTH:
EACH AND EVERY carriage horse is housed in a BOX STALL (unlike some riding horses and police horses in the city, which are kept in "straight" stalls.)
LIE:
"The horses ...are improperly fed"
-Tony Avella, The Brian Lehrer Show 12/11/2007
TRUTH:
EVERY carriage horse receives a high quality diet of oats/sweetfeed/pellets and hay. NO tickets have EVER been given by any agency for "improper feeding".
LIE:
"There is only one water basin at Central Park."
-Tony Avella, The Brian Lehrer Show 12/11/2007
TRUTH:
There are TWO horse troughs with a constantly running spigot at Central Park, and EVERY carriage originating its ride anywhere on 59th Street passes EACH one on EACH ride.
LIE:
"The horses are not properly watered."
-Tony Avella, The Brian Lehrer Show 12/11/2007
TRUTH:
NO diagnosis or summonses have EVER been given for dehydration. A horse that is "not properly watered" would soon sicken and die from complications of dehydration, like any mammal.
NO HORSE has ever died from dehyration.
LIES, LIES, LIES
So -how's the ole schnoz, there, Tony?
(And wouldn't a wooden nose be attached to a wooden head? LOL)
Soon Mr. Avella might be needing some help lugging that growing nose around - yanno, for when he's busily bustling around, sticking it in other people's business.
Maybe the Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages will buy a nice wheelbarrow for Tony's nose with all that $$$ they make from those fundraisers!
(What DO they do with all that moolah, anyways?)
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4 comments:
Hello, well thank you for the comment. I get mighty contradictory responses about this topic. I'm not sure that I believe you, but no matter, perfect doesn't exist. Growing up, my dad used horse power to farm and I still ride with him when I am home. I love horses, but I can't carry that burden the way my co-worker does. In my mind, we are all suffering, some more than others and we all choose our cause :) And even though I live in this city I don't think it's a good habitat for any animal (including humans).
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog in regards to carriage horses and their treatment. I appreciate your information and will study both sides more thoroughly. I posted your comment so my readers will have access to your information. Thanks for giving facts and proof to back them up.
Hello! I'm so sorry I'm only responding now! I had lots of spam comments on my blog post (http://blogs.journalism.cuny.edu/interactivefundamentals/2008/10/01/clip-clop/) and yours got lost.
Thanks for your comment. That was one of my first reports for my journalism program and a very interesting one. Cheers!
PETA lie: Major European cities like London and Paris have banned carriages.
Truth: Carriages are NOT banned in London or Paris (ever seen the Queen ride around in one, huh?). In Paris, there just wasn't a carriage company until recently. They have beautiful Shires that give rides on the Champs de Mars.
PETA lie: Carriage horses are worked a mere 4 years or less until they are too physically debilitated to work and then are sold to slaughter.
Truth: Many carriage horses are "rescued" from the fate of slaughter--bought from the kill pen, they often gain weight once they join the carriage industry. Many horses work for 10 or more years as carriage horses. At my company in Philadelphia, we have a horse that's been a carriage horse on the streets for more than 20 years. Another horse recently retired to a millionaire's estate after 18 years as a carriage horse. If there was anything inherently wrong with the industry, they wouldn't have such longevity. Our retired horses are never sold, and thus will never end up at an auction with killer buyers. Horses with shorter tenures as carriage horses in all likelihood were not fresh young 3 year olds when they started. Many an old plow horse has found his happy forever home in front of a carriage.
Keep up the good work! Civilization as we know it rests in the gap in a horse's teeth!
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