Over the last couple of weeks there has been a great deal of publicity over the deaths of 2 carriage horses in New York and the number one jumping horse in the world, Hickstead, in Verona, Italy. Immediately, cries of cruelty and abuse abounded over the Internet without discerning the difference between heart attacks which any human or animal may suffer whether at work, play or rest versus those resulting from true abuse and cruelty. Calls by fanatics such as Edita Brinkrant of “Friends of Animals” who wrote, ” How grotesque. A show jumping horse is not an “athlete” but merely a slave who has no consent in being bred and is treated as a commodity by his master who will work him until his death.” are both ridiculous and have no base in reality. The overwhelming majority of trainers and riders in all disciplines truly have one common thread - they LOVE their horses!
The sad fact of life is that we all must die, some sooner and quicker than others, and heart attacks every day in both humans and animals with no prior warnings. My own horse, J.L. Seagull, was 13 years old and one day I rode him up the hill to the arena behind Linda Zang’s home just to walk him around on a day off from work. We went about five minutes and he suddenly stopped, looked around, and I saw distress in his eyes like never before. He stumbled and I jumped off thinking I would lead him back to the stable, but he stumbled again and then fell to the ground as I screamed for help to anyone who could hear my sobs. Gene Freeze, my friend and owner of County Competitor Saddlery, came running and told me to go to the house and call the vet. I was 20 and Gene knew what was happening and just wanted me to go away as my horse took his last gasps and his nervous system still showed the kinds of tremors which happen even after death has occurred. I was heart-broken and it was months before I went back to the stables and thought about riding again. I had lost my best friend! And that is exactly what was going through my mind as I watched the death of Hickstead on Youtube, something, thank God, I did not have to endure so many years ago before technology could capture such a sad event. My heart goes out to Eric, just as it does to the owners and care-takers of the horses in New York.
But, this also does not mean that there are not legitimate calls of foul play in which horses and other animals are neglected and abused and we have the responsibility to stop this kind of behavior wherever and whenever we know it to exist. Whether it is a rider beating a horse and causing it undue pain or bewilderment, or a wild animal caged and shackled in an area far too small for it to have a life most closely to the one it would have out in the wild, we should demand the highest possible standard of care and housing for all animals.
If whales in captivity had large lagoons to swim in such that their homes allowed for moving and playing, i would reconsider my feelings about these wonderful mammals being on exhibit. I have seen built for apes where they had acres of area made to look exactly like the mountain environments they came from and they play, breed and socialize much the same as if they were in Africa, but without the poachers and the threat of de-foresting their homes. I am not suggesting that I prefer animals being in zoos or preserves over loose in the wild, but some have been in man-made homes since birth and would perish if thrown bnack in the wild. What I am saying is that there should be an incrediby high standard of care and facilities for all animals in captivity.
And this is where I have had the problems with the Carriage Horse Industry in New York. I have not seen the “incredibly high standard of both care and facilities’ for these animals. Some, yes, but not ALL! There has also been quite a bit of controversy over the death of one of the two horses which died in New York recently. Here is the report so you can judge for yourself:
“Controversy has erupted around the reporting of a necropsy on a New York carriage horse who collapsed on his way to start work in Central Park.
Charlie, a 15-year-old Percheron cross gelding, collapsed and died a little over two weeks ago just a few blocks after leaving his stables.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which has oversight of the carriage horses, took his body for a necropsy and announced interim findings on October 31.
It said while the cause of death was likely to be inconclusive, the gross necropsy report indicated that Charlie “was not a healthy horse and was likely suffering from pain due to pronounced chronic ulceration of the stomach and a fractured tooth“.
Veterinarian Pamela Corey, director of equine veterinary services for the ASPCA’s humane law Enforcement department, was reported in the release as saying Charlie was not healthy for a career in an urban carriage horse business.
Dr Corey said in the release: “We are very concerned that Charlie was forced to work in spite of painful maladies, and these particular health issues can be difficult to diagnose because draft horses are by nature a stoic breed, not displaying signs of pain until they are very severe.”
However, the Horse and Carriage Association of New York City has highlighted a correction filed by Corey with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
There was no evidence Charlie was suffering from cruelty or neglect, Corey said in what the carriage organisation described as a stunning retraction.
According to Corey’s statement, there was no evidence Charlie was in pain during his time as a carriage horse, and by all outward appearances and behaviour, he was healthy.
The October 31 statement from the ASPCA was not supported by the preliminary necropsy report, it said, hence Corey’s correction.
“There was no evidence of cruelty or neglect in this case,” Corey wrote.
The carriage group said Charlie’s death and its “reporting by the ASPCA” prompted widespread outrage in the community.
Demonstrations, threats and slander had been directed against the carriage industry, fueled first and foremost by the press releases issued by the ASPCA and NY-CLASS, which wrongly suggested that his being a carriage horse led to poor health and death.
A spokesperson for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York City, Stephen Malone, said: “Dr Corey’s retraction and apology to the industry and to the public corroborates what we in the industry have said all along - that our horses are fit to work and that allegations of cruelty, neglect, or mistreatment resulting from their care in the city are completely unfounded.”
He said the assocation was proactive over the health and wellbeing of horses.
It said it also had concerns around issues raised in a report published online in the New York Times, which reported that Corey had been suspended by the ASPCA.
Malone said the ASPCA had a stated goal of banning the carriage business in New York City, but had police powers granted by the state to enforce laws as they pertained to the carriage industry.
He described it as a blatant and longstanding conflict of interest.
Malone said the association would be closely monitoring further developments in the story, and would be making a formal statement soon.
The New York Times report said Corey had taken it upon herself a few days after the ASPCA release to issue a “correction”.
It said she had subsequently been suspended in what it described as the latest volley over the contentious subject of carriage-horse welfare in New York City.
The Times said the society declined to discuss why Corey had been suspended but said it had gone back and forth with her over drafts of its original news release about Charlie’s death.
It reported Elizabeth Estroff, senior vice president of communications for the ASPCA as saying: “We believe there are no factual differences between our original statement of 10/31/11 and the one Dr Corey asked to issue.”
Corey had unsuccessfully urged the ASPCA to release her correction, it was reported.
She was of the view that the original statement implied the carriage driver or other parties dealing with the horse were aware of his condition, when in fact there was “no evidence of cruelty or neglect”.
Corey said: “I sincerely want to apologise for the confusion created by these misleading statements.”
The ASPCA has countered that nothing in the original statement indicated Charlie’s owners were aware of his health problems, and in fact had pointed out the conditions were hard to diagnose because draft horses were by nature a stoic breed, not displaying signs of pain until it was severe. ”
The above story was from FEI News. If Charlie had a broken tooth and ulcers, draft horse or not, his caretaker should have known it. Further, Eva, Stephen, Christina and others have continuously stated that heir industry had far more oversight by outside agencies then other horse industries to ensure the health and quality of life of the animals. Should we blame the ASPCA for not catching Charlie’s broken tooth and ulcers, or do we blame the owner and caretaker of the horse? Our show horses have a high rate of ulcers as well, for which they receive medications such as Ulcer-Guard to cure them. And their teeth are looked at on a regular basis - a broken tooth would not go un-noticed and un-treated. My gut feeling is that Charlie’s care was sub-standard; however, whether or not this caused in any way his death is completely uncertain. Like I said, heart attacks can and do happen without warning all the time in humans and animals. So let’s separate the two issues and not allow whacko’s like Edita Brinkrant to rule the day and exploit the tragic death of a beloved, great horse, whether from the driving world or the jumping world. Acts of true neglect, cruelty or abuse should be dealt with to the greatest extent of the law, but life and death will always be a true mystery and unless that death comes from absolute and certain abuse, our only reaction should be one of the greatest sympathy for those who have lost their loved one.
RD
