Target: Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Majority Leader of the New York State Senate
Goal: End subsidies and privileges that allegedly prop up horse racing where animals are whipped, injured, and killed, and enact enforceable protections including a whip ban, public injury reporting, and lifetime bans for repeat violators.
Reports indicate state legislators recently participated in a low-profile “Legislative Pace” ride while harness horses were driven with whips before largely empty stands. Advocates have long alleged that this industry is sustained by substantial public subsidies and that horses endure intense confinement, painful equipment, and repeated striking during races. Behind the spectacle are animals who, as reported by watchdogs, too often suffer injuries and are quietly removed from competition.
Observers and prior investigations have cited a stream of public money that keeps this business afloat despite waning attendance. Critics argue that these transfers continue while horses face breakdowns, drug violations, and premature deaths. The same event lawmakers reportedly sampled is tied to practices that would be unacceptable in any other setting where sentient beings are involved.
This moment demands accountability. Taxpayer support should not underwrite cruelty. New York leadership should move to end racing subsidies, prohibit whipping, mandate transparent veterinary and fatality reporting, and bar those with repeated welfare violations from handling horses. These steps would prioritize animal welfare over tradition and align public spending with humane values.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Leader Stewart-Cousins,
We are deeply concerned by reports that lawmakers recently rode in a special race while horses were driven with whips, even as the industry continues to rely on substantial state support. Behind promotional events lie sentient animals who, as documented by advocates and media, are subjected to repeated striking, harsh equipment, drug infractions, and an alarming pattern of injuries and deaths.
Public funds should not sustain practices that cause fear and pain. New York can set a humane standard. We respectfully urge you to champion legislation to end racing subsidies, prohibit whipping, and require real transparency through public injury, medication, and fatality reporting. We also ask for lifetime prohibitions on licensing for individuals and entities with repeated animal-welfare violations, along with independent oversight empowered to enforce these rules.
Please act so taxpayer dollars are no longer tied to alleged suffering, and so horses are protected by enforceable safeguards rather than ceremonies and photo-ops. New York should lead with compassion and evidence.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: jasohill
