NYC Carriage Horse Owners Clash with City-Approved Vet Over Health Exams

Dispute Over Veterinary Exams

• 🐴 Carriage horse owners in New York City are expressing dissatisfaction with a city-approved veterinarian.
• 🚫 They are reportedly refusing new horse exams, blood work, and trotting tests mandated by the new appointee.
• 🗣️ Union shop steward Christina Hansen stated that the issue is with a handpicked veterinarian who allegedly has ties to an animal rights group, not with impartial veterinarians.

Animal Rights Group's Stance

• 🚩 New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) rallied outside City Hall, advocating for a ban on horse carriages.
• 🚨 NYCLASS argues that refusing health exams is unacceptable and that other licensed businesses would be shut down for similar non-compliance.
• ⚖️ They believe that licensed horse owners should not refuse standard tests to ensure humane treatment.

Industry Response and Mayor's Position

• 🎣 Carriage horse owners view the new tests as an "unfair fishing expedition" and claim the city's Department of Health permits them to decline blood work and trotting tests.
• 🐎 Industry leaders hope that a new mayor and administration will bring opportunities for stable decisions, suggesting that public perception changes once people know the horses.
• 🏛️ Mayor-Elect Eric Adams has repeated his desire to ban horse carriages from Central Park, a promise the industry expects him to keep.

Potential Consequences

• ⚠️ Deputy Mayor Mastro indicated that discussions are underway to determine consequences for carriage horse operators who fail to comply with the new veterinary guidelines.