Hold your horses!
Some 25 protesters gathered at Central Park South across from the Plaza Hotel this afternoon to demand a ban on horse-drawn carriages.
Animal rights activists were spurred to action after last Thursday’s mane-raising incident where Oreo, a carriage horse, broke free from its driver, bucked his passengers and hoofed it down Ninth Avenue, crashing into cars before it was corralled on 57th Street.
“They are wonderful sweet animals but they are predictably unpredictable. Once they spook they are unwitting weapons,” said Elizabeth Forel, president of Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages.
Although Oreo was not seriously injured, the incident reignited calls for legislation that would abolish the popular sight-seeing attraction.
Mary Culpepper, coalition vice president said, “Tragedy was avoided this time, but what about next time and the time after that. Tourists have a right to know how dangerous these rides really are.”
She continued, “When the horse spooks like that it’s bad for business. There’s no saying what will happen to Oreo. There are no laws in place to insure that these horses don’t end up at an auction-off slaughter house.”
Carriage driver Gareth Smith, 35, and his 9-year-old horse, F. Scott, parked near the demonstration–and got an earful.
“I really don’t take that seriously. They have no understanding of our industry. They are just ridiculous. We are in this business because we love animals, not the other way around.”
cynthia.fagen@nypost.com