I suppose Paul Moshimer brought Doug Anderson and me together. He and Paul were very close friends, and Paul spoke very admiringly of Doug, a poet, photographer and iconoclastic man. Doug teaches poetry and writing, he is a former Vietnam combat medic and his experiences there has shaped his life.
He and I met from time to time at Blue Star, but I sensed that we were skirting around one another, I think it is not easy for either of us to make friends easily. People at Blue Star love Doug, a couple thought he has been sad lately, so I invited him to come to the farm for a chance of scenery, and he came Friday and is leaving Tuesday morning.
It worked out very well, I think Doug needed to get away for a bit, and I relished to chance to talk with him and get to know him. We didn’t talk that much about Paul. Doug offered some insights that were helpful to me in trying to understand what happened. But we both realized that suicide is inherently irrational and sometimes, you just can’t make sense of out and need to accept that. And, when you can, move on.
Doug and I will be dealing with the shock of Paul’s death for some time, as will his wife Pamela and the many people who loved and valued him. Doug is a smart man, a creative, he is also a very caring man. There is a dark side of him, stemming mostly from his nightmarish experiences in Viet Nam. He told me something of that nightmare, it has shaped a lot of his very powerful work. We talked a lot about Blue Star, the magic and power of the place, our commitment to it, our love and respect for Pamela, the astonishing young people who have come there on a pilgrimage for a more meaningful life.
We hit it off, became friends I believe, we are both loners living creative lives, our connection yet another gift from Paul. I hope the visit was helpful to him, it was so helpful to me. My heart is heavy from Paul’s death still, and I am always conscious of the fact that this is not my tragedy, I will not be a sorrow thief.
Doug took a bunch of photos, went for some walks in the woods, sat and talked with me, watched me herd sheep with Fate. I told him he is welcome her anytime, he need not make any reservations, he cam just come and hole up.
Last summer, I realized I knew some wonderful old men, and I recalled that I have always wanted to be part of a men’s group so I formed the Fabulous Old Men’s Club. The criteria for joining were simple. You have to be fabulous and somewhat old. I knew three men who fit the bill: Scott Carrino, my closest friend and the co-owner of Pompanuck Farm and The Round House Cafe; Paul Moshimer, the co-director of Blue Star Equiculture; and Doug Anderson, a celebrated and loving poet, teacher and photographer, a loner and fierce individualist and lover of carriage horses. Oh, and me and Red.
I could not recall ever knowing a better group of men, thoughtful, sensitive and caring people. Being an idiosyncratic loner, I knew it would be a while before we could get Doug Anderson up to a meeting. But Paul came to visit me and we went to Scott’s sugar house one cold night, sat drinking hot toddies (whiskey and maple syrup) and talked until pretty late into the night. It was a fabulous scene of alchemy and connection, boiling vats, hissing fires, excellent conversation and good whiskey. Scott and Paul loved each other and we were all excited and filled with plans to meet regularly.
That was not to be. Nearly three weeks ago, Paul died, he took his own life. I did not expect the FOMC to meet again.
Saturday night, Doug and I talked on the phone, I knew he was saddened and bewildered by Paul’s suicide, the two were very close friends. I suggested that he come up to the farm for a change of scenery and to clear his head, and he did come, and it has been a pleasure to spend time with him, we share a great deal with one another, and the conversation is honest and easy. I loved having him here, I will miss him.
We decided to go see Scott and give rebirth to the idea of the Fabulous Old Men’s Club, not only to honor Paul but to keep the dream of a bunch of good men caring enough about one another to meet regularly. A gift to all of us. It was a sweet meeting, Scott gave Doug a tour of his farm and we sat down next to the fish pond where Scott comes every evening to feed his beloved goldfish. He really does love them.
Doug is a celebrated poet and photographer, his latest book, Horse Medicine, was inspired in part by his love of Blue Star Equiculture, and the people and animals there. He is a very important figure there. Like me, he always has a camera strapped to his shoulder, he is sharing his life all of the time.
We talked a bit about Paul, but then went on to life, the things we cared about, family, carriage horses and dogs, work and creativity. The young club has already seen a bit of life, we are joined in part by sadness and loss, but mostly by the passages of life, which we think about, talk and share.
I am grateful that the Fabulous Old Men’s Club lives after all, it must be an idea that wants to live, after all.
I believe dogs are best trained by being given the chance to succeed, and insofar as possible, denied the chance to fail. Great dogs become what we need them to become, they enter our lives and intuitively become our partners in life. Maria brought Fate to Crystal Hill, a path in the deep woods where she often finds crystals buried in the dirt after a strong rain. Maria bent down to look for some crystals, and Fate, curious, came over.
Fate watched Maria and then began digging a hole herself, right next to where Maria was digging. It was a sweet thing to see, the joining together of these two bright and loving creatures. Fate wanted to dig too, and she even came up with a rock that had a small crystal in it.
Fate is getting stronger by the day, she is not quite strong and fast enough to always get ahead of the sheep, she can do that if she is closer, she is getting faster by the day. This morning, the flock took off on her and I said “away” – the counter clockwise outrun that heads out to the right and she did catch up with them and turn them back. I am always amazed when border collies leave the ground, when all four feet are in the air. We had the pasture brushhogged this weekend and I see she moves much more quickly on the lower grass.
I’m working on keeping her from being a “push” dog, one that rushes ahead of people out of doors and gates. I make her lie down and stay before she gets out of the gate, that is hard for her, she is getting it.
The New York Carriage Trade is fighting for it’s existence against some wealthy and very powerful interests that would drive this historic business and way of life from New York. At the moment, their greatest threat comes from the mayor of New York, who is asking the City Council there to ban the horses in July.
I asked the people in the carriage trade what would be the most helpful thing for horse and animal lovers to do that might help stop this unjust and unfounded assault on honest and hard-working people, and beautiful draft horses who have been working with human beings for centuries.
They responded, they are asking for your help and my help. This is when it matters, this is when everyone reading this can really make a difference. You can use the mails and the gift of social media to help make it clear to the mayor of New York, who has never owned a dog or a cat, to stop persecuting honest and hard-working people who have suffered greatly but broken no laws, violated no regulations and committed no crimes.
There is now a massive amount of professional and independent information showing that the carriage horses are safe, healthy and treated well. There is no evidence that work is abusive or unhealthy for them, or that they are being mistreated in any way.
The carriage trade is frustrated by the mayor and his representatives. He has shunned the carriage drivers as immoral people, refused to meet with any representatives of the carriage trade, visit their stables, talk to their lobbyists or lawyers. He and his staff meet regularly with representatives of the animal rights movement seeking to ban the horses. From the first, the carriage trade has been denied equal treatment or justice under the law, the mayor was given many thousands of dollars in his campaign by the leader of the movement to spearhead the ban.
Political observers in New York say Mayor deBlasio is ambitious and wishes to head a new populist and reformist movement. He has been traveling the country and the world to establish himself as the most progressive political leader in America. He would rather not be exposed as a hypocrite and if he bans the horses, he will regret it, animal lovers have long memories and some deep pockets. I have written many times that the mayor’s campaign against the carriage trade is anything but progressive.
A progressive is generally defined as a liberal political leader who favors social reform, income equality and a better life for working and poor people. I would generally define myself both as a progressive and a supporter of the idea of quantified rights for animals. I find deBlasio’s irrational and dishonest campaign against the horses – when taking office he promised to ban them in his first week – to be both hypocritical and revealing of a flawed characer. If this is what being progressive means, I’ll take a different bus.
The mayor has lied about his motives, evaded questions about his political contributions, demonstrated the most profound ignorance about the horses and their real needs. Whatever he is doing, he is not doing it for the benefit of the horses.
There is nothing progressive about the campaign against the horses. It threatens hundreds of good jobs for working class people. It has been especially cruel, the abuse of the carriage drivers has been far worse than anything the horses have suffered. It is not progressive to target people and their way of life for no proven reason; to threaten their property; to pressure them into taking jobs they do not want (driving green cars in the outer boroughs), and to take their freedom from them. Government exists to protect freedom and property, not to take them away.
If the mayor is sincere about being progressive, he surely can find some real victims to help in New York City, not animal victims manufactured by greedy real estate developers.
It is not progressive to support the campaign of these real estate developers to take over the carriage horse stables on the West Side of New York and replace them with giant condos and office towers. It is not progressive to deny the carriage drivers due process and equal justice under the law.
I have been to New York City a dozen times and written a hundred pieces on the carriage horses, talked to a score of behaviorists and veterinarians who have seen the horses. They are well cared for, healthy and lucky. I have no doubt about it, I would never support the carriage trade if this wasn’t beyond any reasonable doubt. If they are driven from New York, many of them will die in slaughterhouses or lead idle and unhealthy lives on rescue farms, where they will have no work to do, no people to see or work with, no stimulation or work. There is no natural world left to send them to, and draft horses have never lived in the wild, they would not last there, even if there was a wild to go go.
The mayor wishes to replace the carriage horses with giant, ugly and expensive electric cars. The Central Park Conservancy has rejected that idea, the beautiful park was designed for the carriage horses, they are an integral part of the city’s history and soul. Progressives favor environmental concern and reform, electric cars are not more eco-friendly than horses.
So you can now help, you can really make a difference by sending a letter to the mayor. The City Council is soon to vote on the carriage horse ban. The letter should be addressed to Mayor Bill deBlasio, City Hall, City Hall Park, New York, N.Y., 10007.
I can tell you on good authority that the mayor is very sensitive to the way in which national “progressives” look upon his tenure. I would not presume to tell anyone what to say, letters are individual expressions of feeling and opinion. My letter notes that he is exploring interesting and progressive ideas in New York City but that his campaign against the carriage horses and the working people in the carriage trade is disturbing, and anything but progressive. I urged him to stop the campaign against the carriage horses, as all three newspapers in New York and the vast majority of city residents have urged him to do.
People are not powerless any longer to stop the hysterical movement to remove domesticated animals from our world and save them from an uncertain and dangerous fate – 155,000 horses were sent to slaughter last year, there are few places for large draft horses to go, do not believe that all of these horses will lead happy and healthy lives if they are taken away, that is a big lie.
I thank you for your support. New York City is our biggest stage, it is important we save the remaining animals in our world, and honor and respect the extraordinary bond between human beings and the horses. They belong in the park as much as we do. The mayor is paying particular attention to what people outside of New York City think of him, his national ambitions may be much larger than his creepy assault on the carriage trade.
We know now that the campaign against the horses is not an isolated one, it is part of a movement that does not believe domesticated animals should work or live with people. That includes horses, dogs, cats, ponies, elephants. If they can do it to the horses, they can do it to you.
If the mayor of New York wishes to be known and respected as a progressive, he can begin by saving hundreds of jobs, keeping hundreds of healthy and safe horses in New York, standing against the cruelty an abuse of the animal rights movement there, supporting the environment, helping rather than destroying a small business that has been popular and successful and fed and houses thousands of people and animals for 150 years. If he were progressive, he might be working to make the lives of the horses even better and safer than they are now. It would be easy and inexpensive – and progressive – to do.
Thank you, if you choose to help the horses. This one is for real. We can do this. We are helping Blue Star Equiculture. We are helping Joshua Rockwood keep his farm in Glenville, N.Y. We can help save the horses. I will keep it up on this end. If you are comfortable sharing this request, please do so. The horses have sparked a new social awakening, we seek a world in which people and animals live in harmony, both treated with dignity and respect. People have rights too.
