Congratulations to the NYC Horse and Carriage Industry!

This past week the NYC Council passed our bill, Intro 35A with a vote of 46-4 with Mayor Bloomberg expected to sign it into law in the coming days!

2+ years of hard work on the part of many of our members has paid tremendous dividends for both us and our horses, as this bill codifies our high standards, and gives us our first rate increase in 21 years!

We will now be able to go ahead with our pro-active agenda, both for the horses and the industry as a whole. The rate increase plus the fact that the time-consuming work of getting the bill passed is over, will now allow us to tend to our business, and also loosens our purse strings with regards to improvements.

Make no mistake; all provisions in this bill were carefully handcrafted jointly by the industry, the NYC Rental Horse Advisory Board, and Councilmembers. The media is reporting this story as if the horse care provisions were "forced" on the industry -nothing could be further from the truth. *WE* were the ones who wanted to standardize the quality of care our horses receive - there is nothing in this bill that we either didn't suggest or agree with.

A very special THANK YOU to Teamsters Local 553 - we could not have done this without your dedication and help!

Another big THANK YOU to Council Speaker Christine Quinn, for standing up for what is right in the face of ridicule, abuse, and harassment by the "animal rights" contingent.

A hearty THANK YOU to all the Councilmembers who voted for us.

A horsey THANK YOU to our brethren carriage operators across the country for your loyalty and moral support!

Most of all, a resounding THANK YOU to the most important people - OUR CUSTOMERS. You are the reason for our existence, your patronage is highly appreciated, and allows us to continue being ambassadors for NYC.

I'll post more on the bill later, including a link to the actual legislation.

For now, I just want to say (with apologies to Robert Duvall):

"I love the smell of horse manure in the morning....it smells like -
Victory."

Victory for NYC Horse Carriages!

So very sorry to have left my faithful readers without an update for so long; it has been over a week since our VICTORIOUS hearing at City Hall!

I have been busy catching up with the rest of my life (which was sorely neglected during the run-up to the hearing), and also preparing for the next phase of the fight - getting our bill actually voted on and passed.

Quick summation of the hearing: We TROUNCED the humaniacs LOL

I actually feel a little silly being so prideful, because it really was no contest - more or less like an elephant squashing a dung beetle ;-)

The carriage industry had authoritative speakers (veterinarians, equestrians, reps from NYC Tourism Board, the Teamsters, the Dept of Health and the Dept of Consumer Affairs), and informed and supportive elected officials (CMs Jim Gennaro, Oliver Koppell, Leroy Comrie.)

Most importantly, the many members from our ranks who also spoke did so with intelligence & clarity, provided provable facts, and easily communicated their dedication and experience to the Council Committee. I was (am!) so proud :-D

We may be one big dysfunctional family lol, but we are a mighty force to be reckoned with when push comes to shove. Every owner or driver had something different to offer - from the history of our business to descriptions of multi-generation carriage families; from the excellent countering of malicious lies with rock-solid facts to the personal stories of hardship that this witch hunt has had on our families. All was spoken with dignity and courage. We were a sight to behold.

I want to thank ALL our well-wishers out there for your support, prayers, and general kindness. Thank YOU!!

To our detractors I would like to say - the next post is for you. ::evil grin::

On NYC Carriage Horses: Words of Wisdom from The Editor of the NY Daily News!

Kudos to the New York Daily News for their Sunday, January 3, 2009 editorial, reprinted in its entirety here:
********************************
The Equine Equation

"Neigh, we say. Neigh! People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and City Council PETAphiles are trying again to sever the alliance between homo sapiens and equus caballus.

Specifically, they're out to shut New York's carriage-horse business, breaking a bit of the bond that began when humans domesticated horses 6,000 years ago. (We learned that through the Museum of Natural History's recent exhibit on horses.)

Over the centuries, humans created more than 200 breeds, from the muscular Clydesdale to the striking golden palomino and elegant Arabian. For more than 3,000 years, humans have ridden the beasts into battle. For more than 1,000 years, horses have plowed fields, cleared forests, herded cattle - and pulled carriages.

This sacred friendship between two species must go on. The PETApoops must be stopped.

Otherwise, they'll come for the dogs, too.

Just you watch."
*******************************
We are delighted to see such straightforward thinking and comprehensive support!

No doubt the humaniacs were crying into their soy lattes this morning as they read the morning paper as they realized their relentless, baseless, histrionic attacks on us have gotten them exactly nowhere.

Thank you, Daily News!