At first glance, for many, New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry might seem pretty benign, even romantic and quaint. However, like most animal industries, there is much that is disguised, distorted, and hidden from public view. In the documentary Blinders: The Truth Behind the Tradition, filmmaker Donny Moss gives the viewer an intimate — and frequently startling — picture of the horses who not only labour in poor conditions, but who also find scant comfort in their resting stalls. Despite their years toiling in dangerous streets or standing in cramped and barren housing, most horses do not retire to sanctuary at the end of their thankless working lives, but instead are shipped to slaughter. In this interview, Moss talks about what surprised him most about the industry, and why he believes that a ban is the only way to really help the horses.
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