liam neeson
Liam Neeson Steps Aboard; Help Share His Opinion
City dweller Liam Neeson, who also happens to be a respected actor, has stepped up to defend the iconic horse-drawn carriages in New York City by narrating a lightly-funded but well-made YouTube video titled “Save New York Horse Carriages.” What, you might ask, has that to do with foxhunters who mostly choose to live far from the bustling city, in the quiet countryside, where horses are part of the everyday scene?
As editor of Foxhunting Life, I try to be ever watchful that my personal feelings don’t overly influence the content of this website, the mission of which is to inform and entertain our readers about foxhunting. At times, though, at least in my mind, the borders blur between foxhunting and certain issues of the day.
The New York City carriage horse controversy is one such issue. Just this year, FHL has published four news stories on the subject,* and early this month I devoted my Blog to a related commentary.**
While our statistics inform us that these articles have been read by numerous people, only one reader—a lady in Ireland who is completely mystified by the mind-set of those opposing the carriages—has yet troubled to write a Comment after any of them. The silence notwithstanding, I cannot conclude that the NYC carriage horse issue doesn’t relate to us, our passion for horses and hounds, the natural world, and the foxhunting life.
Opposition to NYC Horse Carriage Ban Is Building
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s pledge to take the city’s iconic horse-drawn carriages off the streets is facing increased opposition, according to the Associated Press. Recent support for the horse carriages from many quarters has changed the mayor’s timetable on his ban promise from immediate to year-end. Actor Liam Neeson, in a recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, wrote that the carriage horses appear happy and well cared for. “It has been my experience, always, that horses much like humans are at their happiest and healthiest when working,” Neeson wrote. His comments earned him the attentions of a gang of animal rights protesters outside his home. Also, some city unions—usually on the Mayor’s side—broke with him on the subject, fearing tourism losses. Two thirds of city residents are in favor of keeping the horse carriages, at least in Central Park, according to recent poll. And last week, the city’s print media—New York Times, Daily News, New Yorker—came out in sympathy for the horse-drawn carriages. “Let the horses and carriages alone,” said the Times in an editorial. Click for more details in Jonathan Lemire’s AP article. Posted April 25, 2014
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