Why the Long Face?

Blinders , a documentary by gay stand-up comedian Donny Moss, explores the dark side of Central Park's iconic horse and carriage businesses.

By Lawrence Ferber

A horse-drawn carriage ride through Manhattan's Central Park is a romantic lure and memorable experience for many tourists (remember Will Smith's gay carriage rendezvous in Six Degrees of Separation ?). But gay stand-up comedian Donny Moss found nothing loving about it while working on Blinders , an eye-opening documentary that exposes the brutally inhumane, tragic, and downright dangerous side of NYC's horse-drawn carriage industry.

Certain to educate and sometimes appall with its accounts and images -- of horses killed by run-ins with cars, forced to live in substandard conditions, and one "retired" nag dispatched with a bolt pistol -- Blinders is a compelling piece that asks, and answers, the question of whether horses have a place in modern-day congested city centers.

Moss put his comedy career and a full-time job in public affairs for a pharmaceutical company on hold and invested substantial savings in the 50-minute Blinders , which was nominated for a 2008 Genesis Award (the awards ceremony will be held March 28). It screens March 20 at NYC's Village East Cinema and will air on the Documentary Channel during March and April.

By phone from his downtown apartment -- where he lives with his partner of five years, Jim, and a 16-year-old Jack Russell terrier -- Moss discussed his documentary, how Alec Baldwin got involved, the lesbian politician allegedly stonewalling a bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York, and a sexy new attraction that's already taking their place.

Advocate.com:Have you always been a horse person?
Donny Moss: I have not. I always considered myself an animal person. Like so many gay men and women I think of my dog as my child -- she's coughing in the background -- but I'm a New Yorker, I didn't know anything about horses. I just saw all these dispirited animals lined up along Central Park South and read the news coverage of them getting hit by cars. The whole thing made me uncomfortable and then I saw protesters one day holding up signs and educating the public about the issue. Something went off in my head telling me I want to look into this further and maybe use this as a first stab for a documentary.

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Name: Pietro
Date posted: 3/24/2009 10:06:00 AM
Hometown: Far Hills

Comment:
I thought it was just us! I'm so glad that the inherent cruelty involved in working horses in NYC is finally being brought to light. My BF and I live near horse country in NJ, and it breaks our hearts when we come into the city and see what we know is wrong. I hope this movie Blinders is seen by the people who can really make a difference.
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Name: HorsePower
Date posted: 3/23/2009 8:24:00 PM
Hometown: East Village

Comment:
Where the F is the journalism in this ridiculous puff piece? There is clearly no horse abuse going on around Central Park. Moss openly admits he knows NOTHING about horses. Absolutely nothing. Give me a break. Find someone with some credibility to interview. This guy is a joke. And so is the Advocate for printing such garbage and lies.
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Name: Andrew Strawcutter
Date posted: 3/14/2009 1:58:00 PM
Hometown: North Salem, New York

Comment:
What strikes me most from watching this persuasive film is its compelling logic, not its effect on my emotions, although who could not be touched seeing such unnecessary suffering by our obliging fellow creatures. Blinders is potent evidence that some dumb animals walk around on two legs, not four. Indeed, none are so blind as he who will not see. This film simply shows what is going on here in a way that cannot be ignored. When, WHEN, the end finally comes to the inhumane treatment of the carriage horses, this film will have an honored place in that history.
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Name: agnigrin
Date posted: 3/14/2009 12:54:00 PM
Hometown: New Brunswick

Comment:
We were proud to debut Blinders in New Jersey last summer at our NJ International Film Festival at Rutgers University! Donny is an absolute sweetheart. I wish there were more compassionate and animal-friendly filmmakers like him out there. Kudos Donny and thanks Lawrence for the terrific interview!
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Name: Michael
Date posted: 3/13/2009 4:28:00 PM
Hometown: New York City

Comment:
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR COMPTROLLER CANDIDATES? David Weprin and John Liu want to reward a cash-only business that cheats consumers. They are sponsors of Intro 653-A, which would raise the rates of horse-drawn carriage rides and take away oversight of the horse-drawn carriage business from the ASPCA. Intro 653-A is opposed by the New York City Bar Association and major animal advocacy organizations. The facts: â€¢ Carriage operators overcharge unsuspecting tourists, as captured on this Youtube video: â€¢ The ASPCA currently monitors the horses at no cost to the city. Intro 653-A would take away the ASPCA's oversight and shift the burden of these costs to the taxpayers. Is this a responsible use of scarce public resources, when they can be used to provide much-needed health services to the public? Politics as usual. New Yorkers deserve better.
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Name: Frank B.
Date posted: 3/13/2009 4:20:00 PM
Hometown: New York, NY

Comment:
Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg should also be outraged by the overcharging of tourists (both in person and blatantly online). See the youtube video "Overcharging Tourists" (enter overcharging tourists ny). Why would our mayor and speaker support a business that bilks consumers?
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Name: Frank B.
Date posted: 3/13/2009 4:19:00 PM
Hometown: New York, NY

Comment:
Speaker Quinn and Mayor Bloomberg should also be outraged by the overcharging of tourists (both in person and blatantly online). See the youtube video "Overcharging Tourists" (enter overcharging tourists ny). Why would our mayor and speaker support a business that bilks consumers?
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Name: Oirishcolleen
Date posted: 3/13/2009 2:03:00 PM
Hometown: NYC

Comment:
Blinders is an excellent movie and I'm so glad that Donny is getting the praise and the film the screenings they deserve. Way to go Donny!
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Name: Janice
Date posted: 3/13/2009 2:02:00 PM
Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Comment:
Horse-drawn carriages in Times Square?? That picture is outrageous. Horses hate that type of environment. And the blinders don't prevent them from spooking. As a horse owner, I am appalled that people are allowed to work their horses to these totally inhumane and dangerous conditions. Please do something about this.
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Name: Alex
Date posted: 3/13/2009 12:59:00 PM
Hometown: New York, NY

Comment:
Luke: Who's agenda are you talking about? For those of us who have seen cars crash into horses, eliminating this inhumane and dangerous practice is a high priority. We don't have to choose between taking care of the economy and being kind to animals. We can do both.

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