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Public Testimony

Elaine Curie (retired international rider) testifies remotely supporting ban

New York City Council · Jul 15, 2026 · starts 9:10:26 · 3 min 17 sec

Elaine Curie, a retired international rider with 70 years of horse experience, testifies remotely that horses eat poisonous plants when hungry, that NYC carriage horses are already arthritic and used before arriving, and that horses only lie down when they feel safe.

Lynn C. Schulman

Elaine Curie, C-U-R-Y, is next.

Member of the Public - Cindy Anthony Favia

You may begin.

Lynn C. Schulman

Elaine Curie.

Lynn C. Schulman

We can hear you.

Lynn C. Schulman

No, now we can't.

Lynn C. Schulman

Go ahead.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Oh, great.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Okay, hold on.

Lynn C. Schulman

No, you're good now.

Lynn C. Schulman

You're good now.

Lynn C. Schulman

Nope.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Fuck.

Lynn C. Schulman

Stop pressing your mute button.

Lynn C. Schulman

Now press it once.

Member of the Public - Cindy Anthony Favia

She's good.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Okay, so.

Lynn C. Schulman

All right, now you're good.

Lynn C. Schulman

Don't touch anything.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I won't touch anything.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Okay, thank you very much.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Start it over.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I'll do this as quick as I can.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

First of all, South Carolina has nothing to do with New York City.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

So all that that's great in South Carolina, it doesn't apply here.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I would like to make two points that were not made during the expert testimony that you had all day.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

And I have been here since 10 o'clock in the morning.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I was born in New York City.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

We have property in New York City.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Having said that, I am a retired international rider.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I have 70 years of...

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

High horse experience.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I also drive.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I have driven for 20 years.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

So I have some experience in driving.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

One of the points was that one of your councilmen had a problem.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

He was berating one of your garden

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

committee men about having use in New York City.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Horses is a

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

are born with an innate sense of what they can eat and what they can't eat.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

I think they have like a memory of like three or 500 plants that they can eat and what they cannot eat.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

When a horse eats something that's poisonous, it's because they're hungry.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

And so they will eat what's available.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

That's number one.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

The other thing, the other point I wanted to make is that it's not just working these horses in New York City.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

That's bad enough.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

But these horses, these particular horses, have navicular.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

They're arthritic.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

They are already used before they come to New York City, and they are not.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Taken care of by expert horsemen as they would like to pretend.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

They turn them out in any condition.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

One of the examples of that is lady and rider.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

And the last point I wanted to make was that when a horse falls down on the ground, whether they are...

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Time expired.

Lynn C. Schulman

You need to summarize because we need to move on.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

When they fall down on the ground, it's because they absolutely can't.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

Horses do not like to get down on the ground unless they feel they're safe.

Member of the Public - Elaine Curie

And I thank you for listening.

Lynn C. Schulman

Thank you.

Lynn C. Schulman

All right, next is Marietta Hoare.