A note from Dietrich Mosel

Marist Forever Foxes Running alum Dietrich Mosel emailed me the following note to send along and share with Running Red Fox Nation, a topic about which he is quite passionate. OK!

To My Marist Teammates, Friends and Colleagues,

I am writing you today to inform you of an abusive practice happening right now in New York City, the operating of Horse Drawn Carriages in Central Park. This industry has been under scrutiny for years due to the neglect these animals have been subjected to which often results in serious injury and even death.

In the case of Ryder, a horse that collapsed in Hell’s Kitchen this past summer due to exhaustion, the carriage industry and their representatives lied to the public about his age, condition and whereabouts. His owner bought him on the cheap and told a colleague, who informed the New York Post, that he was aware the horse was too old to work but would simply squeeze every last dollar out of it.

He was too old to be working, a veterinarian (who has been fined and suspended for malpractice) blamed his condition on ingesting possum droppings rather than being overworked in the heat and he was sent to a “farm upstate” to heal but we never learned of the location and his status. 

Here is a series of articles written by those at The New York Post which clearly depict the timeline of events and abuse. The most recent unfortunately breaks the news that Ryder has passed away. This is the direct result of political inaction and pay for play economics given Mayor Adams and Speaker Adams are both endorsed by the powerful Transport Workers Union which represents the carriage drivers.

These horses will continue to suffer unless the New York City Council chooses to take action by scheduling a hearing for Intro 573 (The Bill to Ban Horse Carriages) to be discussed in an open forum. Speaker Adams has the power to do this and simply won’t. The TWU has even taken to calling Council Members who were going to sign on as co-sponsors to the bill to convince them not to.

Celebrities have even stepped in to try and persuade the City Council to effect change, here is the link to the article should you wish to read more. Below are emails from NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets) and VFAR (Voters for Animal Rights) which also communicate the most recent news.

We need everyones help to help push this forward, it would mean so much to me and the horses if you have a few moments to:

1. Call Speaker Adams office and demand that she schedule a hearing for Intro 573. Her numbers are (718)-206-2068 and (212)-788-7210

2. Please use the template hyperlinked in the second email, attached below from Voters For Animal Rights, to send an email to Speaker Adams and other Council Members. You only need to input basic information, their email is pre-written, it’s quick and easy!

3. Please send this email to any and everyone you know, the more calls and emails they receive, the more likely it is that they take action

Thank you so much for your help and please reach out to me with any questions or additional ways you can help!