Anyone who's been to New York City has seen the carriage horses walking up and down the street near Central Park. While they're an iconic part of NYC culture back in the day, modern standards of animal care and humane practice have been driving a wedge between greedy ranchers and star-struck tourists. It's impossible to deny the awe-inspiring look of the horses waltzing through the city like an epic bygone centerpiece, but these carriage horses are far more troubled than they look.
Over the last several years, a horse sanctuary has made it their mission to rescue these carriage horses from harsh conditions, giving them a life they never dreamed of out in the country where they are free to just... be a horse.
This is Bernard, the latest addition to The Gentle Barn family. He was a carriage horse for most of his life in NYC but was recently acquired by the man who runs the sanctuary. With his first step off of the trailer, you can tell he's uneasy on such plushy ground, but quickly, Bernard gets acquainted with his new surroundings.
Although he's still quite spooked, Bernard gets introduced to other retired carriage horses who put his horsey mind at ease and it seems like the biscuits and treats also seemed to do the trick.
The Gentle Barn has been saving these carriage horses for years, buying 'used' horses and bringing them out to their farm to live out their days in peaceful excellence. No more honking cars, no more hot days in the park, and certainly no more concrete on their poor chafed hooves. These horses have it made!
To check out more of what The Gentle Barn is up to, click here to go to their TikTok page!
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