In May of last year we learned that Glee star Jane Lynch had teamed up with the animal right’s organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in an effort to combat animal overpopulation and today we learn that her co-star Lea Michele has teamed up with PETA for a cause of her own. Lea and PETA want to put a stop to horse-drawn carriages in big cities, is that something you think you’d be on board to support?
Glee actor Lea Michele is raising her voice against the cruelty of horse-drawn carriages. In a shocking undercover video, Lea exposes the harsh conditions that these overworked horses are subjected to—all day, every day. The native New Yorker also posed with a rescued horse for a gorgeous PETA ad to help spread the message that horses don’t belong in traffic. “Imagine for a moment that you’re forced to do hard physical labor all day, seven days a week—whether it’s sweltering hot or freezing cold outside,” Lea says. “At the end of the day, instead of relaxing on [an] easy chair or sleeping in a comfortable bed, you are locked in a tiny closet all night long.” This tortured life is a sad reality for the horses who are used to pull carriages. During their workday, these horses are forced into dangerous traffic, where they develop respiratory ailments from inhaling exhaust fumes and debilitating leg problems from pounding the hard pavement. They constantly weave between cars and are often spooked by loud noises on the streets. As a result, accidents sometimes occur in which many horses and people are seriously injured or even killed. When not working, these horses are confined to cramped stalls in which they are unable to turn around, stretch their legs, or even lie down comfortably. Don’t get taken for a ride. Join Lea and countless others in boycotting horse-drawn carriages!
Ugh, I must admit … I am not a fan of horse-drawn carriages. I get that the notion of being pulled in a carriage by a horse is romantic to many but I’ve seen far too many miserable-looking horses in NYC that the romance is lost on me. While I’m sure that not all horse-drawn carriage companies mistreat their horses, it just seems really cruel to force them to live in a noisy, bizzy, aggressive city setting. Here is video released by PETA of how they claim some horses are mistreated, be warned … it may be difficult to watch:
On this subject, I agree. I have never supported the horse-drawn carriage business … ever. I absolutely do not intend to start.
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Yeah, I think I would support that cause. I always feel bad for the horses around those noisy cars. They don’t look happy.
I have been riding horses for 14 years, and consider myself pretty knowledgable when it comes to horses.
Those NYC horses probably have it better than those equestrian center horses, also working all day, not getting out of their stable if nobody’s riding them, being kicked around by unexperienced riders and then sent to die if they get old.
The horses are the bread winners of those carriages companies, sure there are exceptions but most of them are not in too bad a shape cause their driver really can’t afford to be out of work. I’m all for punishing the one that don’t treat their horses like they should though.
And horses like everyone else get used to things, they probably don’t hear the cars anymore and couldn’t care less about traffic. Horses are also made to be ridden/driven and never lay down to sleep, they stay standing up all day anyway.
As an educated man I expect more from you and this blog. Your blind eagerness to follow the PETA trend on “horse abuses” is absurd and completely unwarranted. I challenge you take yourself outside of the Hollywood bubble and actually see what true America is experiencing. It may not be trendy or hip, but open your eyes to reality will see that absurdity of PETA and the “causes” they are fighting for.
I am NO supporter of PETA at ALL, especially when it comes to their take on horses (I’ve owned/ridden horses for eighteen years), but the commercial carriage horse industry, in NYC especially, is disgusting.
We’re talking about horses on pavement for hours a day with little rest from the elements (Summer is especially difficult – imagine the heat on the cement); Little to no water; Lameness issues; etc.
Not saying all companies treat their horses this way, but a large majority do, and most animal cruelty enforcement is underfunded, and if it is enforced, punishment is usually minimal.
My first thought was PETA? Seriously? As a long time (35 year) horse owner and lover, I don’t see the “need” for these horses in NYC traffic. BUT, that said….in the video, I didn’t see horses with open wounds, thin or “stalls piles high with feces”. In true PETA fashon, this video fails to amaze me. So, should we get rid of all working horses? The police horses that are all in the cities? Horses are made to work…..and generally are much happier and healther doing so. Is it a fire hazard to have the horses in the barn? sure. Is it a fire hazard to have ANY HORSE, in ANY BARN a fire hazard? YES. PETA needs to stop with the half truths fabrications. I am so sick of them.
Agreed
Talk to someone who’s worked with horses. That’s what they know to do – doing stuff, not lying around all day. What I support is taking care of the horses in a healthy manner and not overworking them. There’s nothing wrong with them working in this manner as long as they are healthily taken care of. Educating oneself about these types of matters is necessary instead of jumping to conclusions based on what a big organization promotes.
I 100% agree w/ Janelle!
Agreed!
i understand that horses are supposed to be working… but if any of you actually did research on horses in cities then i think you’d change your tune. in nyc especially, there are tons of horses who get hit and KILLED by cars and buses every year – and they clearly are stressed in this environment.
horses just can’t be on the same streets as cars. period.
Those are cases that need to be looked at. It’s not about abolishing the practice – it’s about exercising it safely. NYC is certainly one example about what not to do.
I love the idea of a horse drawn carriage ride, but through parks not on busy city roads where they get hurt and inhale so much exhaust. But if the horses are cared for humanely then i definitely think they should still have them in major parks.
@ Megan: How do you think they get to the parks? through city streets.
I just recently visited NYC and I always thought that I would want to go on a horse drawn carriage ride but when I got there and actually saw the horses and the way they were treated, I couldn’t do it.
I’m no horse whisperer or anything but they seemed bummed.
Sure horses can pull carriages with no problem but they shouldn’t have to do it for 12 hours a day and then be stored (for lack of a better word) in tiny stalls.
So this issue may not be at the top of some people’s list of things to fix in the world but it’s not like you have to do anything to help…just don’t go on those rides. There’s an endless amount of other (better) stuff to do in NYC anyways.
Check out this stupid video PETA made: http://meat.org
I admit to not being an expert on the Amish… But don’t they use horse-drawn carriages when making trips to the non-Amish world? Some months ago I watched a documentary where the kids, on their 16th. birthdays’, were allowed to “sow their wild oats” for anywhere from 1-5 years before having to commit themselves to the church where they would uphold ALL rules thereafter – INCLUDING NO MORE CARS, JUST horse-drawn carriages.
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Maybe it’s not the same thing but there were cars around & not everyone yielded to the carriages. So is PETA going after the Amish next?
Amen. The Amish use their horses ALL day, EVERY day. They use their horses for transportation, for plowing and all other farm work. So if PETA wants to go after horses being used everyday then they need to go after the Amish. (Not really).
Also, as a carriage driver (in a small city) for over 13 yrs I know that many of these horses are not abused in anyway, if they were in poor health then they can’t work, therefore no $$ coming in, so therefore they are taken care of. They also get used to traffic and it doesn’t bother them at all. But I guess there are always going to be bad apples in the bunch.
I forgot to add that I know there’s far more traffic in big cities than rural areas & adjoining towns, & maybe the consruction of the carriages are different, but both are still drawn by horses.
Why does Lea Michele have that purple thing on her face?
Sorry. I couldn’t resist… I can’t stand her :(
LOL!
Horse-drawn carriages in NYC are an unnecessary tourist cash cow. I have always found it repulsive. It makes me really sad to see them in everyday NYC traffic in between cars giving out their exhaust.
the PETA pic of the chick with a horse in a halter, “oh i’m saving horses from suffering” is SO disingenuous. PETA’s ultimate aim is to stop humans from having pets at all. this includes horses with halters on them.
NOT A FAN.
PETA believes ALL animals, including cats and dogs, should be set free, and not be in human hands. What would happen to all the domestic animals if that were the case?
I dont believe getting rid of pets is part of PETA’s mission statment. Now, I could be wrong. I am a Veggie and have checked out the site but I think they are a little too extream about some of the stuff they do. I am a Veggie by choice and dont force my opinion on any one, like I sometimes feel PETA is going for! But I never got the impression from them that they are thiking domestic animals need to be set free.
But again, I could be wrong!
I am not fan or carrige driving in cities. We barely ride our horses at all when the ground is either frozen or hard from drought in order to give our horses legs a break. I can’t imagine the toll the carriage horses legs take from walking on such hard surfaces every day. And the heat. Those big draft horses, especially, do not do well in the heat. It doesn’t matter what discipline you do, you have to let your horse be a horse, and I don’t think these horses get to do that (I also hate those annoying dressage riders who lock their horses in stalls 24/7 just to prevent injury). Not every carrieg place treats their horses poorly, but other research I have seen (and NOT from PETA, I actually despise most of what they preach) shows that a lot of these horses are mistreated.
And using the Amish as an example for ethical treatment of carriage horses is also a little extreme. Again, not all Amish treat their horses poorly but they have definitely earned a bit of a reputation as bad horse people.
I think that no body would think of this as so ludicrous if it was a campaign by The Humane Society or ASPCA or something, who have better reputations than PETA.
When I was talking about the Amish, it was not to say they mistreat their horses, it was to show that they do use their horses everyday and the horses do work hard, but are no worse for it. And if PETA is going after carriage horses then why do they not go after the Amish also? I think PETA has a double standard when it come to the use of horses in the city and the use of them in the country.
Because the Amish don’t live in NEW YORK CITY Laurie!!! They live amongst other animals and wildlife. Not with cabs, cars and people. This is not a normal way for a horse to live.
Working horses is the same in the city or country. Just like police horses, carriage horses can get used to any amount of traffic or noise. As someone who drove a carriage for years (not in a big city) I can tell you many of these horses are not bothered by the traffic at all. Do I think they should be worked for 12 hours at a time, NO! But I do believe there should be regulations for the use of carriage horses. The number of hours they work and under what conditions they can work, etc. Luckily the horses I drove worked weekends only, lived on pasture, and didn’t work in the winter. If only that were possible for the New York horses. Okay I’ll shut up now.
@Jessica-(for some reason it wouldn’t let me reply directly underneath your comment) The founder of PETA has actually stated multiple times that no human should have an animal as a pet. That all people who do have them as pets are animal abusers and slave drivers(even though most people would rather go without food themselves then let their pets go without food). Forcing their opinions on others is all that PETA is about. Sadly.
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I was never fond of horse drawn carriages, It does seem to be one of the icons for romance, but I just never really saw the point of it, especially in cities. In the country side it wouldn’t be that bad, but cities make me stressed, I’m sure it would make horses stressed too, not to mention I would be extremely nervous having an animal around so many vehicles and the chance that it could get hit.
I find it hard to pay attention to anything PETA puts out there, just their name makes me cringe and want to get as far away as possible. They(the organization) get under my skin, mainly because of how they approach and handle certain situations.
People who think that these rides are “fun” and “touristy” should be ashamed of themselves. Horses ARE NOT MEANT FOR THE CITY PEOPLE!! They are kind, loyal and smart animals who aim to please. Remember that the next time you pay some guy to haul your ass to Central Park in a carriage. Sadly, like everything else in the US, it will take a massive tragedy for someone to act on behalf of these horses. Nothing ever changes because its the right thing to do, it changes because we are reacting to a horrible event. Also, please remember that they are also being fed the lowest grade of food possible – they get no nutrition. Make the right choice, shut this shitty industry down.
You clearly have no idea what you are talking about. Never lump everyone, and all carriage companies into the same basket