Every Valentine's Day, countless New Yorkers and tourists are trotted around the city by animals that are literally being worked to death. So this February 14, New Yorkers should show carriage horses some love by giving them a badly needed break.

For decades, horses were an integral part of the workforce, helping to build New York into the city it is today. But with the advent of the automobile and other modes of transportation, the need for horses in the city rightly diminished. What was once a natural habitat for them has become a foreign and dangerous one. New York's horses have joined the ranks of the exploited.

Today's carriage horse industry has become one of the most abusive rackets in town, subjecting animals to treacherous work conditions, long hours, and inhumane living situations.

Horses caught in the industry typically work nine-hour days and are forced to maneuver through dense city traffic, sirens, and bright lights -- all while inhaling the fumes of cars, buses, and taxis. After being run into the ground, carriage horses are often auctioned off to "kill-buyers" and transported to Mexico or Canada where they are slaughtered for their[...]

[Published in GreenNews - Read the original article]