Care for the Horses
We have been working with horses for almost fourty years and caring for them is our top priority. Our concern for the horses' safety and well-being extends throughout every aspect of our business from the moment we purchase a horse to when we retire him. There is nothing that is more important to us than the well-being of our horses. We are extremely selective in choosing our horses. We only work with calm, sturdy animals who we feel can deal with the stress and rigor of the city. When we shop for a new horse, we'll often inspect over one-hundred horses before we find one that we think may be suitable. Our horses undergo extensive training in Pennsylvania before they arrive in New York. If we ever have any doubts about a horse, we do not introduce him into the business. When they are ready to retire, we find our horses good homes on farms in Pennsylvania. When our horses arrive in New York City they are well taken of. Each horse receives daily vitamins and supplements with his food and horses are groomed and inspected twice daily for sores and tenderness before and after they go to work. Furthermore, our horses are examined at least twice a year by a veterinarian. Our horses will not go out to work unless they receive a clean bill of health. Once a year, each horse is also given a five-week furlough at a farm with access to a paddock where he can graze and run around. When our horses are in New York, we stable them in Midtown on the West Side. They sleep in large turn-around stalls and have good ventilation to keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Each horse has lots of hay and fresh water in his stall. There are several stablemen who work around the clock to make sure that the horses are alright while in the stable. Our horses are shod approximately every five weeks with shoes that have a special alloy that will help the shoes stand up to the concrete. We do not work with the horses in extreme weather. During the summer, we do not operate our carriages when the temperature exceeds 89 degrees. We often stop working around 87-88 degrees. In the winter, we carry special blankets to cover the horses when it is cold. We do not operate when the temperature falls below 19 degrees, and often stop working when the temperature is in the mid-twenties. We water our horses at least every two hours when they are working, and each carriage carries with it extra food and water.
We have been working with horses for almost fourty years and caring for them is our top priority. Our concern for the horses' safety and well-being extends throughout every aspect of our business from the moment we purchase a horse to when we retire him. There is nothing that is more important to us than the well-being of our horses. We are extremely selective in choosing our horses. We only work with calm, sturdy animals who we feel can deal with the stress and rigor of the city. When we shop for a new horse, we'll often inspect over one-hundred horses before we find one that we think may be suitable. Our horses undergo extensive training in Pennsylvania before they arrive in New York. If we ever have any doubts about a horse, we do not introduce him into the business. When they are ready to retire, we find our horses good homes on farms in Pennsylvania. When our horses arrive in New York City they are well taken of. Each horse receives daily vitamins and supplements with his food and horses are groomed and inspected twice daily for sores and tenderness before and after they go to work. Furthermore, our horses are examined at least twice a year by a veterinarian. Our horses will not go out to work unless they receive a clean bill of health. Once a year, each horse is also given a five-week furlough at a farm with access to a paddock where he can graze and run around. When our horses are in New York, we stable them in Midtown on the West Side. They sleep in large turn-around stalls and have good ventilation to keep them cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Each horse has lots of hay and fresh water in his stall. There are several stablemen who work around the clock to make sure that the horses are alright while in the stable. Our horses are shod approximately every five weeks with shoes that have a special alloy that will help the shoes stand up to the concrete. We do not work with the horses in extreme weather. During the summer, we do not operate our carriages when the temperature exceeds 89 degrees. We often stop working around 87-88 degrees. In the winter, we carry special blankets to cover the horses when it is cold. We do not operate when the temperature falls below 19 degrees, and often stop working when the temperature is in the mid-twenties. We water our horses at least every two hours when they are working, and each carriage carries with it extra food and water.