Horse carriage drivers in Central Park argued on Monday that their work is safe for their equines; to show that, their union just made a rather high-profile hire.
TWU Local 100, which represents the city’s horse carriage drivers, announced the hiring of Tristan Aldrich, a coachman and horse trainer who once worked at the stables at Buckingham Palace.
“All the work in London that I did with the Palace horses, we were on the road all the time, Central London through Victoria, and right around the Palace, trooping the color, and changing the guards,” Aldrich said.
The carriage horses will be checked on once a week in the 843-acre park by Aldrich to assess their physical condition, flag any possible issues, and promote best practices to the drivers. There are roughly 200 carriage horses for the industry’s 68 carriages.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve seen anything that is obviously upsetting,” Aldrich said, speaking of the horses. “The horses are all happy, they’re all in good condition, the drivers do everything they can to make sure the animals are looked after and taken care of.”
In a statement announcing Aldrich’s hire on Monday, TWU officials proclaimed the creation of a “safety committee” of union drivers and elected shop stewards. They also lauded the hiring of equine veterinarian Gabriel Cook.
Edita Birnkrant, NYCLASS’ executive director, dismissed the union’s announcements as a “smoke screen,” and questioned the independence of experts.
