Parks Department Shuts Down Stables After Six Horses Die

The Cedar Lanes Stables, a Parks Department consession run by the Federation of Black Cowboys was shut down by the agency after six horses died in the last half of 2012 without 'adequate explanation.'   Some of the animals living there were malnourished and did not have proper accommodations. (Photos: Christie M Farriella for New York Daily News)

Queens

 A popular urban stable in Queens is being temporarily shuttered after city officials said an “alarming” number of horses died at the site, the Daily News has learned. 

Six horses died in the last half of 2012 without “adequate explanation” at the Cedar Lane Stables, a city concession run by the Federation of Black Cowboys, Parks Department inspectors said. 

Some horses were malnourished and housed without proper food and bedding, according to documents obtained by The News. One horse named Wyatt tried to eat its bedding of wood shavings in a stall with no water or hay. 

“Our main concern was for the condition of the animals,” Betsy Smith, the Parks Department’s assistant commissioner for revenue and marketing, told The News. 

The existing concession — a “rough board” arrangement — allows the federation to rent out about 50 stalls to individual horse owners for about $165 a month. But the cowboys are under no obligation to care for those animals.   


The Cedar Lanes Stables.
 
The city has ordered owners to remove their horses over the next few weeks so the federation can renovate the grounds. After, the group will have to prove it can run a “full board” facility where it would be responsible for care of the horses.

The crisis has deeply divided some boarders and members of the federation, a riding group that also runs community programs.

Some boarders have called the city to complain about conditions at the stable, but are unhappy with plans to temporarily close it. Others said the federation has done little to maintain the property.

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City closes Queens stables temporarily after six horses die over six months
New York Daily News - March 19, 2013 - By Lisa L. Colangelo