Blinders: The Truth Behind the Tradition (2008)

The horse-drawn carriage industry in New York City is highly controversial. Animal rights activists say that the operation of horse-drawn carriages should be banned because it is inhumane and unsafe. They believe Hollywood has romanticized this industry and claim that life on congested city streets is anything but romantic for these nervous animals that are easily spooked. Carriage operators and city politicians say that horse-drawn carriages should stay because they are a cherished symbol of New York and attract tourists to the city. As a result of three dramatic and fatal accidents since 2006 that received international media attention, the plight of the carriage horses is now in the public eye more than ever before. But the public doesn't know much more than what they see on the streets and on the news. Through original footage and interviews with carriage drivers, veterinary experts, accident witnesses, leading animal rights activists, city politicians, tourists, residents who live near the horses and people who have rescued carriage horses from slaughter, Blinders takes viewers behind the scenes to expose the truth behind the tradition.