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Jan31

Chrissie Hynde Leads Carriage-Horse Protest

Posted at 05:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (31)

Chrissie Hynde got married while sitting in a horse-drawn carriage in Manhattan in the '80s, but she’s changed her views on how ‘romantic’ carriage horse rides are since then. This afternoon, she led a PETA protest in Central Park to encourage tourists not to support the carriage-horse industry, which is notorious for abusing the animals it profits from, and forces them to pull heavy loads through exhaust-filled streets in all weather extremes. Here’s what she says about the whole sordid business:

"Learning about how horses have died in accidents and seeing their pathetic night stalls got me to change my tune about carriage horses. I love horses and hate seeing them reduced to beasts of burden in one of my favorite cities in the world."

And here’s what she said about her marriage:

"I got hitched to Jim Kerr (Simple Minds) in a horse drawn carriage in New York. The marriage didn't last and I hope the carriages meet the same fate."

A huge thank you to Chrissie for selflessly coming through for animals in need yet again. There are some pics from the event below, and while we’re at it, you can click here for a nice photo of Ms. Hynde at the recent opening of her vegan restaurant in Akron, Ohio. You frickin’ rule, Chrissie Hynde.

Comments

Not to mention the HONKS and the HORNS! The sounds of traffic in the big windy city, "Not" good from our fellow horses!! Thanks Chrissie for the help!!

Posted by: Carla | January 31, 2008 05:35 PM

Chrissie, you rock! Is that Dan i see too? I have hated seeing those horses pulling the carriages since i first saw them 30 years ago. Wish I could have been there. Thanks so much for all you do.

Posted by: cheryl snyder | January 31, 2008 05:48 PM

Dang I'm missing all the good Manhattan events! What a cool woman. She is red hot.

Posted by: Maya, C.V.T. | January 31, 2008 05:55 PM

Are you people serious??

Posted by: chris | January 31, 2008 06:33 PM

Way to Go Chrissie Hynde!

Posted by: Peace to You | January 31, 2008 07:01 PM

Way to Go Chrissie Hynde!

Posted by: Peace to You | January 31, 2008 07:19 PM

Chrissie rocks! She's my hero!

Posted by: Katrina | February 1, 2008 12:47 AM

Well done Chrissie.We met your ex husband,Jim Kerr,whoruns a Hotel,Villa Angelo in Sicilly.Jim is a vegetarian and my wife said a nice man,who has made a good bussiness and was generous in giving sumptous breakfast including champagne ,though place was not cheap but with beautifull views of the harbour and the volcanoe.It must have been Chrissies influence which madae Jim a vegetarian.Hence,starting and blessing a new vegetarian restuarant is a noble deed,Vegetarains and Vegans of the world unite,to make the mother earth a kinder,gentler place for all living beings and promote,art,culture,music,song and dance and architecture.regards and best wishes,ravi

Posted by: Ravi Pandya | February 1, 2008 04:09 AM

Posted by: Ravi Pandya | February 1, 2008 04:10 AM

I love Chrissie Hynde!!! She is such a staunch supporter of animals and is ever ready to lend her voice to help them. Goodbye carriage horses! Start walking, people, it is good exercise!!!

Posted by: Ana | February 1, 2008 08:47 AM

Chrissie Hynde is a really rocking lady! and she has the rare advantage in mature age to looke so awsome and good - i admire her great heart and spirit and all these wonderful PETA-people with her!

Posted by: RAINBOW WARRIOR | February 1, 2008 09:25 AM

I've ALWAYs thought that horse drawn carriages were cruel, even as a child before I knew about animal rights. Thanks Chrissy for representing us who care about horses and all animals. Why is our mindless amusement more important than horses' safety and well-being? What a self-centered and careless race we are...

Posted by: Anne | February 1, 2008 11:32 AM

Way to go, Chrissie! You're a true warrior.

Posted by: Mike Quinoa | February 1, 2008 11:39 AM

I'll be interested to see if carriage rides decrease with this new push. Will there be a noticeable difference in the profits made by the operators and a decrease in the number of rides people want?

Posted by: Ashes | February 1, 2008 11:53 AM

Chrissie, YOU ARE AMAZING and Ireland loves you!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: John Carmody | February 1, 2008 04:07 PM

Years ago, when I first went to New York City, I took a carriage ride with a couple of other people. They were enjoying the view and all I could focus on was that poor horse, trying to pull all of us through Manhattan traffic, huffing and puffing in the cool evening air. It's NOT a life for a horse, never was, never will be. Good for Chrissie Hynde! I'd love to see the carriage trade stopped and see all those horses find good homes in the country where some kind soul would just let them be horses.

Posted by: Susannah S | February 2, 2008 09:58 AM

Don't stop in NY. We in Philly have them all over center city and they work those horses asses off. I don't even see a warter hole anywhere.

Posted by: Mark Miller | February 2, 2008 03:29 PM

Wonderful work, Chrissie. More people need to stand up for animals!

Posted by: kathleen wissenz | February 3, 2008 12:55 PM

Thanks for all you do Chrissie. We love you.

Posted by: Alex | February 4, 2008 01:31 PM

Chrissie YOU ARE A WONDERFUL PERSON.

Posted by: martyn | February 11, 2008 08:29 AM

Love Chrissie Hynde, what a woman. Of course, I love all the other campaigners around the world just as much. There are so many warriors out there, willing to fight for animal rights, and they all deserve the same praise. Here in Spain we also have horse-drawn carriages, and just imagine in the summer heat... it's so, so sad... I say things to the cruelty inflictors whenever I can, though they don't give a damn. There's also a lot of campaigning here to end the horror that's bullfights (where, incidentally, horses suffer ENORMOUSLY too!). Go vegan.

Posted by: Marisa | April 18, 2008 08:07 AM

please tell me where i can sign a petition to STOP carriage horses. this is cruelty at it's highest.

Posted by: lesley | July 8, 2008 11:40 AM

What sad creatures human beings are...so lacking in awareness and indifferent to the suffering and cruelty inflicted on other beings, those unable to speak out about the misery they suffer. It is time in the 21st century that we stopped to think before using animals regardless of pain and fear inflicted.
A start would be to ban the archaic cruel carriage-horse industry!
Angela Brooke-Ward

Posted by: Angela Brooke-Ward | August 3, 2008 06:19 AM

Thanks! I really thought they were fun, but now I should really be against them. I will spread the word

Posted by: 4animals | October 4, 2008 09:01 AM

Wow ... I really never thought about the cruelty before or the conditions they may be subjected to. Now it seems blatently obvious that these beautiful creatures do suffer.

I'll never ride on another horse drawn carriage in the city again.

Posted by: Randy | October 8, 2008 05:40 PM

I was recently on holiday in Melbourne and was shocked to see horse-drawn carriages in use for tourists. We need Chrissie Hynde to come back to Australia!

Posted by: Regina Wilkens | October 11, 2008 10:50 AM

I am so happy to see action being taken at long last over the disgraceful treatment of the horses...driven to exhaustion in polluted enviroments. Thanks again Chrissie for highlighting this cruel practise. You're a star!

Posted by: Annie O | October 12, 2008 12:33 AM

Well done Chrissie!!! I too took what I thought wuyld be a romantic trip through central park for our 30th wedding anniversary in october this year. I then got off, walked away with my husbanc and broke my heart crying. I was so angru with myself. being an avid horse lover I thought what the hell had i done. this is just so cruel. not a bucket of water in site for these poor creatures. I am going to make it my mission to sign as many petitions as possible and soread the word to help us to ban this cruel exploitation of these defecenceless and beautiful creatures that should be frollicking in a field somewhere!!!

Posted by: Andrea | October 26, 2008 07:30 AM

I can't believe this! The picture of Chrissie Hyde above and the heavy blond dame,staring at her a carriage horse driver and owner-is the very same person who owns Precious Moments Carriages, Chantel Semanchik, who I have been trying like hell to ban from my little Jersey shore town, Ocean Grove.Her horses work 12 hours a day in the heat,and I called the local paper and they printed a story on it. It was more in favor of the Carriage horse business, than my comments. Such as horses standing in the heat n asphalt! Glittering toenails. Chantell 'assured" the Coaster newspaper the horses were'nt abused in any way. Why then did she tell me two days ago herself that the horse, Molly, a white horse with chronic laminitis, which makes molly's hoof inside, fall, because the bone is coming through the frog of the hoof. She explained it to me very casually. The horse is 200 pounds overweight, was working and pulling people around and I read all about the disease. That poor horse must have diabetes a metabolic syndrome, like people guess. She explained all of it very casually. She says Molly only works one day a week. I'LL SEE. THE ASPCA does nothing.sHE SAYS THE HORSE ISN'T IN PAIN.Molly looks dirty and tired. She has chronic laminitis, but because she does not walk crooked, Chantel said, she is sound. Her bone is dropping through her foot, and the horse sweats profusely. I wish I could do more. Does anyone have any comments as to chronic laminitis and what ELSE I can do?

Posted by: Corine Yaworski | July 25, 2009 02:50 AM

I am just wondering if they ban the horse carriages where will the horses end up? In one of the slaughter houses?I Not all owners of the horses are bad I am sure. So I am not sure what to say to that. I love animals and cry my eyes out every time I see anything harmful done to animals, but sometimes you have to look at what the effect will be when you take stand for something that can lead to even worse things for animals. What about all the dogs in at the SPCA that gets put down on a weekly basis. It opens up a whole can of worms. Everytime I pass as horse I send a quick prayer to the goodwill of the horse.

Posted by: suene | August 2, 2009 11:50 PM

please tell me how to help with the carriage rides, they do them here in Ottawa Ontario too and ever since I heard Pink doing an advertisement in New York against them I can barely stand to see this.

Posted by: Karen Finne | October 5, 2009 08:03 PM