King, the New York City Carriage Horse, Goes on to Greener Pastures

When Elizabeth Forel heard that the license of the elderly New York City carriage horse, King, would be allowed to expire when it came up for renewal on August 31st, she was concerned. She knew that King was owned by the same operator who had sent another of its carriage horses, "Billy," to the notorious New Holland auction earlier this summer.

The founder of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, Ms. Forel had been instrumental in securing Billy's safe passage from slaughter to a safe, permanent home at Equine Advocates, and she hoped that when King was released from service pulling cabs for the West Side Livery, he'd be able to go to a peaceful retirement, rather than find himself in harm's way. Certainly, King had earned it. Through her contacts, Ms. Forel had learned that the big chestnut, believed to be in his mid-20s, had been working seven days a week, without a vacation, for years. What would become of him now?

She had reason to worry. Between 2008 and 2009, 94 carriage horses had vanished from the New York City Department of Health's rolls, their whereabouts unknown.

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