An exclusive inside look at the New York City Horse and Carriage Association

I have horses and I drive my pony in his little cart. I also am friends with a trainer that used to work for the carriage company in downtown San Diego. So I have a little bit of knowledge in the area of horses. It seems that these horses are being well taken care of. The fact that they are so transparent is obvious that they are conscientous about taking care of their animals. As far as the rencent accidents, you can have an accident with a horse anywhere...it can happen on his own in the pasture. How many years have these carriage companies been operating vs. how many accidents occured? I am all for animal welfare but PETA and some of the animal rights groups go too far. They don't even think we should keep pets! Come on people...if you want to do some good, go after the puppy mills or the people that are actually abusing their horses!

TheBarnRules wrote: "I stand corrected: Downstairs ramp at 30 degrees (33.3 percent grade) Upstairs ramp at 40 degrees (44.6 percent grade) Still, not that steep!" Nope, not steep at all. Modern construction standards for stairwells are a 60 percent grade (with 19th century stairwells even steeper). So clearly the activists who make the ridiculous claim that the ramps are replacing the "steep" stairways of "former tenement buildings" (instead of stables) are, once again, lying.

These animal rights people make me sick. Unless animals are being mistreate they need to keep their Damn noses out of peoples business. These horses are not mistreated and are only doing what horses are ment to do,Work for a living for their owner and themselves.

I stand corrected: Downstairs ramp at 30 degrees (33.3 percent grade) Upstairs ramp at 40 degrees (44.6 percent grade) Still, not that steep!

Boycott anything with Angelica Huston

I think it's not the horses they want of the streets it's the Irish drivers, they dont like to see Irishmen that happy.

why don't these protesters stop trying to stop this tradition and start actually using their time and money to help the animals who could use a home and a job... adopt or sponsor an animal is a better way to spend your time then to hurt someones living and who is providing a loving animal with a good home.

I walked up and down the ramp on Saturday and I'd guess it's maybe 10 degrees, if that. Horses go up and down hills bigger than that all the time. Paddy is a rock star!

At this time, I'm more concerned about the way protestors are treated in NYC. I would like to go back to NYC sometime, as there are many sites to see. I have to say the police force morphed into something else since homeland security was brought in.

May I ask again HOW STEEP IS THE RAMP ???

The one in the middle between those two guys,is that Angelica Huston?