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A Cozumel horse advocate speaks out
The inhumane carriage trade is finally coming to an end at the end of March in the beautiful
island of Cozumel. A law that has been on the books for some time now will finally be enforced.
The carriage trade proponents (drivers and owners mostly) are spreading the word that no one considered what will happen to the horses and they will all go to slaughter. They are doing that to negatively affect all the other ongoing campaigns such as the one in New York City. Not only is this not true, but they carefully ignore the fact that if an owner of a horse wants to bring his horse to the slaughter auctions, it is his choice -- whether in NYC or Cozumel. Besides, that is where many of them go now when their work life is over. The horse owner is accountable for the fate of his horse.
The following was written by a horse advocate who has been very involved with this issue in Cozumel. It is written in English, although not her first language, which is Spanish.
This is her response to the neigh sayers on a "horse" blog.
to lolalola: as your Spanish skills are only basics I am assuming the info you give here is not accurate, or you made it up. Where did you read this ?
to everyone:
If we requested to ban the horse drawn carriages in Cozumel due to the cruelty and abuse caused to the horses ,we obviously had contemplated the destination , use and welfare of the horses after the ban takes place. i don't have or need to give details about it but i will.
*we had requested the mayor to have the animal control center office to supervise the destination and use given to the horses after the ban takes place.and we will be there to make sure is done and done right.
*yes, the horses are privately owned, but the animal protection and welfare law of the state has regulations for the owners of the animals. if they don't follow they can face not only a fine but days in jail.
*there are not slaughter houses on the island , and to transport a 2,ooo lb. horse to a slaughter house is not worth it for the owners so please stop saying Cozumel's horses will be taken to slaughter houses.
*yes , there is a horse sanctuary on the island.
* yes, there are people willing to adopt or buy this horses to have them at their camp houses,well kept and give them a descent life.
*and stop trying to blame the situation on us, if carriage drivers and owners had followed the regulations given to them by 3 different municipality departments, we would not have needed to have to ask for the ban. In few words, it became impossible to regulate them or have control on them.
So stop worrying or using Cozumel 's horses , because they are going to be much better than they are now. you can be sure about that.
i could sit here and talk for hours , days about this industry , i have seen everything that happens behind of it, and you are not going to like what i have to say.
you are going to have to excuse me but i have better things to do with my time and energy than to sit here and argue with people that obviously make their living out of the carriage industry. For example i have to make sure a horse working with open wounds is taking off the streets and to have checked the horse that bolted on Saturday, because if he is not injured from the accident he surely is from the beating given to him by his driver for bolting.
Please, Stop using the horse situation after a ban as an excuse not to ban.
Dont try to win a loosing war.
People, use common sense. On Saturday there where 5 cruise ships parked at the pier in the area where the horse bolted. A mother , a Father , or someones child could have gotten killed, tourists or people working in this area to feed their families.
People evolve. New generations are not using your services, sooner than later horse drawn carriages will have to disappear.
So stop saying lies and get your self a descent job that does not involve animal exploitation and danger to people.
regards from a soon to be free from horse drawn carriages Cozumel