John Quadrosi Jr. testifies opposing ban, calls for regulation

Hi, my name is John Quadrosi.

I'm here in opposition of the ban that's being proposed.

While there has been an uprising as of late and periodically in the past for a ban, it is mostly brought about by exaggeration and acceleration by animal rights organizations that

have been visibly pushing this agenda, who many have publicly expressed their desire to remove animals from people's lives and habitat.

Something that would be a one-sided point of view and tragic on a major scale in New York City.

The carriage horses, which are niche activity and easily misunderstood by non-horse experienced people,

non-horse care related individuals, where things like horse blinders that protect horses from distractions and spooking, or pulling a carriage on level ground like New York City is less laborious than riding a horse.

These are easily misunderstood.

Like in any activity, there are accidents and bad actors for which government puts in rules and enforcement, as is reasonably needed, without imposing unnecessarily on functionality and enjoyment.

Here, too, there must be a balancing of acts of rules, enforcement to keep horses.

carriage operators, and the public's right of enjoyment intact and safe.

This includes things like have been mentioned already, establishing rules for reasonable care that toxic plants to specific animals are not put where these animals are known to frequent.

Reasonable requests for hitching posts and watering troughs are provided so that horses that are typically idle and stopped can be accommodated.

And oddly, this is even something, as mentioned, is not new to New York City, but somehow has gone missing.

Historically, there were always...

Water troughs and hitching posts.

Please summarize the rest of what you have to say.

Infrastructure for horse and welfare and signage for public awareness is a key responsibility of government.

To quote something that I've often seen, this is a historical, cultural, and beautiful activity that we must protect and preserve.

No group, no matter the majority nor minority, should infringe upon this.

I shudder to think that if every

Every time an emotionally mob-driven mentality prevailed, what function of government would be to their duty in preserving the interests of all?

Here, the effects of one area of...

No, you've got to summarize.

Your time is up.

So you've got a couple of sentences, and then you can submit the rest of it.

Here, what seems to be simple enough, that for those that don't like it, they don't have to ride, but for those that do, they should be allowed to.

All horses are domesticated and thrive best by continuous human care.

And their horse-related activities as their exercise in keeping them both healthy, strong, and preserving their mental and physical well-being.

And if I could just note something about pasture, just some information.

You've got to wrap it up.

Tell us what your point is.

So what's mostly, you know, misunderstanding about pasture is that although it is important, it is not all about their health.

It is not the whole picture of horse health.

Nor is it without common risk that exposure to invasive plants, even in pasture, happens.

That's it.

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Go ahead.

Next.