Chicago Horses in the Summer
I see horses tied to carriages on the hot Chicago streets during the summer. As I pass them, I can feel the heat rising up from the pavement. The horses are wearing blinders, but I can still see some of their eyes as I walk by them. I see sadness in those big, black eyes.
I don’t see any food or water for those horses. They are being made to walk long distances on hard, hot asphalt. It’s all to offer the rich and powerful and the less-rich and less-powerful the chance to take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, a quaint old relic of earlier days that doesn’t belong in modern cities with so much pollution and such hard walking surfaces. Somehow, it seems very wrong to see horses working so hard under such inhospitable conditions. They have no labor union to speak for them. They must simply work their long hours in silence. They look unhappy. Looking at them makes me unhappy.

June 8th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
[…] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptI see horses tied to carriages on the hot Chicago streets during the summer. As I pass them, I can feel the heat rising up from the pavement. The horses are wearing blinders, but I can still see some of their eyes as I walk by them. … […]
June 9th, 2008 at 5:40 am
Steve: You are not alone. I (and many others) agree with you that the horses do not belong on the streets of a crowded and congested city whether Chicago or New York. Horse-drawn carriages on 21st century city streets are an anachronism - straight out of the 19th century. Seeing these horses visibly suffering, particularly in the heat and without water, brings shame to the great city of Chicago, which is supposed to be a progressive, modern metropolis.
New York City is currently considering legislation to ban the horse-drawn carriages from operating. Many people want to see it end but the industry is well connected and the proposed bill is caught up in politics.
Please check out the web site for the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages - http://www.banhdc.org
And Steve - thanks so much for speaking up for Chicago’s horses.
June 9th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Sad. It must really depend on the driver how well they’re treated. I see the horses lined up on Central Park South and those guys generally look pretty good.
June 11th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Steve,
Thank you for taking notice. So many of Chicago’s carriage horses are mistreated. There are plenty of city agencies involved in regulating them but they are VERY poorly regulated. There are people on the case and if you’d like to join us we’d love to have you.
June 12th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Thanks, everyone, for your comments.
RA, I have seen those horses on Central Park South. Maybe they are an exception. I’m glad to know they are treated well.
Susie, sure, I am interested. Please tell me more. Thanks.