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25 September 2015 THE HORSE TheHorse.com in the Department of Animal Science at Rutgers' School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, also believes that the future of equine welfare revolves around how the horse industry responds to proposed legislation that would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. In 2013 the nonprofit New York- ers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) called for a citywide ban on horse-drawn carriages on grounds that carriage company operators exposed horses to traffic fumes and collisions, failed to provide appropriate shelter for working animals, and sometimes overworked animals to the point of injury or death. The measure drew fire from carriage company owners who said the horses are already subject to 2010 legisla- tion mandating their care and welfare and that passage of the ordinance would force owners to sell the horses or place them with rescue organizations. The own- ers argued that the horses were business partners and assets connected directly to the drivers' ability to make a living. While the debate raged, Ralston met with drivers, toured stables, rode in the carriages, and found that none of the horses she observed suffered stress either in the stables or on the street. Ralston says the ban has nothing to do with equine welfare. "The proposed ban is based on the premise that it is cruel and abusive to have horses without access to pasture 24/7 and asking them to work," Ralston says. "My research has shown that horses always do better when they have a job and that these (drivers and owners) are working-class people who love to work with horses. The radical animal organiza- tions are plucking the low-lying fruit." As a result, Ralston believes that if those who support such a ban are suc- cessful, the entire horse industry is in jeopardy. "This opens the floodgates for people who want to eliminate horses from any activity, and that means horse racing can be banned, endurance events can be banned—we are all going to be impact- ed," she explains. The solution, Ralston says, is to clearly define the ways horses might be maltreated, such as being deprived of adequate food, water, veterinary care, and safe housing, and to support law enforce- ment and others who prosecute the actual abusers. Take-Home Message Jerry Finch, president of the Habitat for Horses rescue, in Hitchcock, Texas, refuses to identify just one issue that wel- fare advocates should rally around. "There is no difference between the unwanted horse issue, the carriage horse issue, or any other issue," Finch says. "They are all horse issues to me, and I can't put one ahead of the other." Instead, he believes respect for horses will survive only if the industry cultivates a new generation of welfare- conscious owners, trainers, and exhibitors. "What are they doing to get city kids involved with horses, to keep equine sports alive, and to keep horse racing alive?" Finch asks. "We need to get people interested in horses again." h ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pat Raia is a veteran journalist who enjoys covering equine wel- fare and industry news. In her spare time she enjoys riding her Tennessee Walking Horse, Sonny. Organizations in several cities have called for bans on horse-drawn carriages. ISTOCK.COM