De Blasio’s unstable legacy on horses

If the unfathomable rise of Donald Trump has taught us anything, it’s that all of us must fight even harder for what we believe in. That’s critical when an authoritarian leader imposes anti-democratic policies. But it’s just as important when a progressive leader isn’t strong enough to live up to his own promises.

In 2013, then-mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio campaigned across the city, promising to end the abusive horse-carriage industry as mayor.

Four years later, as progressives resist Trump’s immigration and economic edicts, they are confronted with an equally harsh reality: Their own liberal leader has done nothing to protect horses from the cruel situation of pulling carriages through dangerous city traffic.

Let’s be clear about the inhumane lives these animals lead. They are forced to trudge through the rain and cold, suffer through the heat and humidity.

No city agency monitors the hours they work — or overwork — on a daily basis. The city conducts basic health checks only twice a year and has no mandated rest periods. The general lack of oversight results in terrible situations, like just last month, when a horse named Max collapsed in the street and was sent right back to work.

The horses spend their days walking concrete streets, threatened by speeding vehicles, and their nights crammed into tiny stalls. Most tragically, the city has no way to protect the horses from being sold for slaughter once they retire.

After years of promising action, City Hall is now silent. Frustratingly, there is no major obstacle blocking the city from offering basic protections to the horses, even if it is not a complete ban.

Today, Mayor de Blasio could — without approval from the City Council or Albany or Washington — implement the following steps to improve the lives of horses: l Instruct the police department to prevent carriages from making already-illegal U-turns on Central Park South. This would prevent the dangerous situation of a carriage turning into oncoming traffic. l Move the hack line inside Central Park itself — removing carriages from city traffic, and making it safer for both the drivers and the horses. l Increase monitoring and close the loophole that allows horses to be sold for slaughter.

De Blasio could have done all of these things four years ago without legislation. He could do them right now. Yet after years of promises, City Hall does nothing. And that’s why we continue to fight for a ban.

Of course, there are those who will groan about our continued fight and urge us — especially in Trump’s America — to focus on more pressing issues.

We disagree. Abuse in any form — child, partner, senior, animal or otherwise — is always a pressing issue. But more to the point, if New Yorkers cannot count on their socalled progressive leaders to tackle something as universally repudiated as animal abuse, how can we trust them on other challenges?

Some say that the horse carriages, as New York icons, should continue. But if the horses are so iconic, shouldn’t the city take extra steps to protect their health and welfare? Can’t we at least agree that the horses shouldn’t be working in Times Square at midnight amid honking buses, speeding cabs and passing sirens?

Others say that the city has no right to take jobs away from the drivers. And they’re right. NYCLASS and its members have always wanted the drivers to have jobs. Just not inhumane ones.

We want to work with the drivers to ensure they have well-paying, comparable jobs. We continue to encourage the mayor to introduce humane, electric-powered carriages — which would not only provide drivers with steady employment, but modernize the carriages and protect horses at the same time.

And yet, after years of promises, City Hall has no plan. So, we continue to fight.

When we started our campaign, we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew we would face personal attacks. And let me say again: No one at NYCLASS wants the real estate under the stables. No one will buy it. If given the land, we would decline it.

We have also made our share of mistakes, including believing too much in Bill de Blasio.

But we still believe protecting horses is the right thing to do. And we will continue to fight. Because all of us have a responsibility to fight for what we believe in.