Even before his election, Mayor Bill de Blasio declared removing carriage horses from NYC a top priority. Chief among the reasons is that he's declared the practice as cruel and the living conditions as inhumane.

It was certainly a surprise when we heard the Calgary Stampede was dropping the World Championship Blacksmiths' Competition after 35 years. Not only was this decision a surprise to the farrier community, but it also was also a shock to the blacksmith competition organizers who had not suspected the elimination of this valuable learning experience.