Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Carriage horses & Animal Rights

I love animals, anyone who has known me for 5 minutes knows that. so, most people automatically assume that I am a member of "Peta" and am for "animal rights." NOTHING could be further from the truth.

Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is nothing more than a terrorist organization. They'd just as soon shoot my horse out from under me as look at me. they don't believe we should "exploit" animals in any way. This means they don't want us riding or driving horses, keeping dogs and cats as pets, eating meat, or anything else involving an animal being kept confined or killed, REGARDLESS of the conditions.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't want animals abused. I hate animal abuse. I feel that as long as we are using animals in any way, or keeping them, we owe it to the animal to care for it's needs. They need proper and adequate food (you do NOT want to see my monthly pet food bill!), veterinary care (you don't want to know what I pay for that either, trust me!), a clean and comfortable environment suited to the needs of the particular species (meaning, my social rats enjoy living all together in a single cage, but my bearded dragon prefers to live alone, etc), etc. I don't hit them, or starve them, or make them work excessively hard (my horse, specifically).

So, why don't I believe in "animal rights" and what DO I believe in?

The very concept of "rights" is a human thing. As Americans, we have a document that lists our rights. Not every person in the world has the rights that I am guaranteed by that document. I, as a human, know about these rights. I know what they are, what they mean, and if they are being violated. If my rights are violated, I can take steps to do something about it.

So, if animals have "rights," do they know if they've been violated? If a carriage horse has the "right" to only work in temperatures below 85 degrees, and it's 88 degrees, does he know his rights have been violated? No, he's a horse. And 88 degrees really isn't that hot.

So, I don't believe in "animal rights." What do I believe in? ANIMAL WELFARE. this is something that doesn't require a human's thought. Animal Welfare means providing for an animals NEEDS, not his perceived (usually by people who know nothing about the animal) wants. My horse knows if he's hungry, and not getting enough to eat. He knows if he's thirsty and being denied water. He knows if he's too hot and being made to work and not having shade to rest in. These are things a horse knows.

A person who loves animals watches out for the animals' welfare. My horse is an Arabian. His breed was created in the desert. I can ride him for a couple of hours in hot (90*+) temperatures and while he may sweat some, he's not feeling abused. Quite the opposite, his head is up, his ears are forward, and he's rarin' to go.

Now, if I had, say, a draft cross (such as is used by the carriage drivers in NYC), I might not work that horse quite so hard in the same conditions. They are larger horses, not as efficient with cooling as my desert-bred Arabian. While I may trot and canter my Arabian in the 90* weather, a draft cross I would probably mostly walk, with some brief trotting.

This is called, looking out for the welfare of my animal. The conditions are the same, but differences in breed, and even physical fitness, would determine how much work I asked my horse to do. Why? Because over-exertion and discomfort are things a horse knows. He doesn't know about some arbitrary law made by people. He knows about how he feels, physically.

"Exploiting" generally means making an animal do something to make money for people. But again, does the horse know or care about this? As long as the horse's needs are being met, and things he cares about (like his physical comfort) are good, does he really care if he's making money? The carriage horses in NYC are paying for their food, shelter, and veterinary/hoof care when they work. If they knew about things like this, I don't think they'd mind any more than my husband minds going to work to pay for our food, shelter, and medical care!

What sparked this blog is another blog, and the YouTube videos I found from there, about carriage horses in NYC. Now, I've been to NYC. I've seen the horses. I pet them, I chatted with their drivers. These horses' welfare is definitely being looked out for. They obviously get plenty to eat, because none of them are skinny, and a few are actually a bit overweight. They see a competent farrier (person trained in the fine art of trimming and shoeing horses) as needed. Their harness fits properly, because there are no harness sores. In listening to them walk by on the pavement, you can hear a steady 1-2-3-4 beat with no hesitations or off beats. This means their legs and feet are sound and without pain, or the gait wouldn't be so steady.

I've never been in an NYC carriage horse stable, but videos shot by the carriage drivers show stalls with plenty of space and bedding, good ventilation, and automatic waterers. It definitely appears that the horses' welfare is kept foremost, and is definitely attended to.

I decided to watch videos from the "animal rights" people, and I was appauled. It was paifully obvious in watching the video that the people who made them know NOTHING about horses. NOTHING. One video shows the horses being driven during a snow storm. I'm still trying to figure out what the person's point was. Horses don't mind the cold. I've actually seen horses refuse to come into the warm, dry barn during a blizzard. They grow extremely thick coats in the winter (especially in NYC!) and enjoy cold weather. Those horses were not the least bit "abused" by working in the cold and snow. If I wasn't such a wimp myself about the weather, I'd ride my horse in the same conditions! I did, when I was a teenager.

I just wish that these "animal rights" people would figure out that they'd get a lot more done for the animals if they weren't such extremists about it. No, Peta, you will never get the world to become vegans. Instead of that, why not try to get better conditions on the factory farms where animals ARE kept in inhumane conditions? Help the animals. Instead of going "Oh those poor horsies!" why not educate yourself about the horses, and then see that they aren't actually abused. When you spout off about things you don't know about, it makes you look like a moron.

My hat is off to the NYC carriage drivers and their horses. They have been a fixture in NYC since the city began, and may they remain there til the end of time!








Photos taken November 2007