Sport of Kings and Queens-with-Plates to give away, and Leopards oh my!

Man's exploitative use of the horse has been ongoing, in every culture on earth, since 4500 BC.

Ah yes...Exploitative Man (which came immediately after prehistoric man), millennia and horse....
Where would any of us be without the trusty steed to have gallantly brought us to the wincing days of the V8 Mustang GT?

If we look back, it was somewhere in all that evolving of going from nomadic to an agriculturally inclined people...and all that sitting cross legged waiting around for the crops to take root and grow, man found he suddenly had some extra recreational time on his hands....add to that manure mix, annoying neighbours!

Notice how the term never came to be "yeabours"...no? Ever wonder why? Cause they make us whinny, and snort, and scoff, and shake our heads, and neigh at them as soon as we round the corner of our purposely built blocking buildings.

So it wasn't long before aggravated-cultural-neighbour-man-challenged-neighbour, to see who indeed had the stronger steed, who's horse was the most loyal to it's owner and would go the extra mile, or die trying, not to let it's master down.....with the horse knowing full well he'd probably get a thrashing once back in the barn, if it didn't out perform & outrun a comet in front of everyone, when reputations and high stakes are riding on it most.

Thus the horse race of testosterone stetsonhood was likely born.

Don't quote me, I may be having a Farley Mowat moment with my historical info.

But I bet you $20 on a 2-1 I'm not far off.

To gallop through the years at breakneck speed...

Genghis Khan [aka: Temüjin], Alexander-the-debateable-great, Joan of Arc, everyone who ever competed in all those Greek and Roman smash 'em crash em up chariot races, the Knights who say Ni...no wait, they only had coconuts for horses, but there were those who came back from those pillaging crusades with shiny sleek new preowned Arabian horses, which made their dowdy old frumpy lumpy saggy back droopy eyed English horses (who looked that way cause they knew damn well how depressing 364 days of unrelenting rain was) look a bit portly and peely wally, which reminds me...there was also John Wayne.

So, there it is.

Everyone who was anyone rode into history on horseback.

Like the guy who was on Eye Of The Leopard today at the 150th Queen's Plate at Woodbine Race track Toronto.

That horse ought to be eating off the fine china from Queen Elizabeth's very own dining room hutch and sitting at her table, for being at the top of his game today.

All the Kings horses and all the concerted efforts, from prehistoric man right up to today's exploitative man can sit back and simply chew in their feed bag knowing that's one more natural damn-hard-day in the life of a horse done.

Congratulations to Eye of the Leopard for devastating my Milwaukee Appeal choice into a state of on-the-track-ennui which resulted in third place race for him...poor wee colt will get a thrashing tonight even if it's only a tongue lashing thrashing - but not by me!!!!

I just hope these gorgeous animals are treated far better than royalty is. Every single day of the year, throughout their entire lives.

They are utterly regal, elegant and stunning. And humbling to watch go full out.
Nothing like raw natural thunderous power to stir the senses.

The appeal is real.

My only appeal would be that they, along with every animal species that have somehow managed to exist with exploitative man, is appreciated, loved, respected and taken care of.

We hardly deserve the beauty that exists.

But what a sight when we see it !

Horses Without Carriages

Did you know that June 6, 2009 is the Global Day to End the use of Carriage Horses?

Well now you do.

"Horses Without Carriages International" will hold a Global Day. In addition to Toronto, many other cities will be participating, including Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Montreal, Belgrade, Rome, Vienna, Tel Aviv.

The goal to secure a win for animals everywhere, by animal lovers everywhere.

In New York City Alec Baldwin, Pink, Rosie O'Donnel, Rhue McClanahan, and Betty White will be up in hooves and have agreed to join in, to speak up for the horses, who would also be up in hooves, but are slaving away in the tourist trade.

It is for we tourists horses labour...and put at jeopardy everyday.

For more information, and some awful images of the carnage the carriage trade causes, please go to:

http://horseswithoutcarriages.org/

Some facts about New York City's Horse-Drawn Carriage Trade.....

• There are (5) major stables that are involved in the horse carriage industry. They are all on the far west side of Manhattan from 37th St. to 52nd St around 11th and 12th Avenue.
  
• 1. Bryne Stable - 547 West 37 Street
• 2. Westside Livery - 538 West 38 Street
• 3. Shamrock Stable - 522 West 45 Street
• 4. Chateau Farms - 608 West 48 Street
• 5. Clinton Park - 618 West 52 Street

• To get to work, horse carriages generally travel up 10th Avenue to the Central Park area, which begins at 59th St., and return to the stables by 9th Avenue. There are two hospitals in this area – St. Vincent’s Midtown and Roosevelt Hospital. The entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel is at 37-38th St.; there are several entrances to the West Side Highway in this area.

• There are no restrictions as to when horse carriages can travel to and from the park. Unlike Local Law 89, which expired in 1993, carriages may travel during rush hour.

• There are 68 carriage horse medallions or licenses -- one per cab.

• There are over 200 horses – according to an October 2005 list from the Department of Health.

• There are approximately 350 carriage drivers in the industry – according to the NY Post – January 2006

• In 1982 there were 141 carriage drivers. In 1993, there were 296 … Peggy Parker testimony before City Council committee – 11/29/93

• Most of the stables house horses on different levels, accessed by steep ramps.

• Most of the stables do not have adequate fire protection and are not required to have sprinkler systems.

• Most of the stables have stalls too small for a horse to turn around comfortably or to lie down.

• The average working life for a NYC carriage horse is 4 years – compared to 14-15 years for a NYC police horse – according to research by the Carriage Horse Action Committee.

• According to current legislation - Horses may not be worked when the temperature is 90 degrees or more, nor when it is 18 or below. There is no consideration for humidity index or wind chill factor.

• The law requires the ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officers to order the drivers to return to their stables when the above temperatures are reached. The drivers do not have to return on their own volition since it is the ASPCA officers who have access to the thermometer.

• “Manhattan asphalt [street] temperatures reach - well over 200 degrees – hot enough to melt asphalt.” NYTimes 7/29/89 – quote by then Commissioner of Department of Transportation.

• When the sum of ambient temperature (Fahrenheit) and relative humidity exceeds 150 (especially if humidity contributes more than half the sum) the evaporative cooling mechanism by sweating is severely compromised. (published in Equine Exercise Physiology - 9/22/82

• According to current legislation - Each horse can work up to nine hours in any 24 hour period. A horse can be worked every day according to the law.

Horses are kept standing for extended periods of time on hot asphalt without shade. There is no shade on Central Park South on the hack line. Boredom is just one of the feelings these horses experience.