They're not horsing around at the Clinton Park Stables.

That was the assessment of the president of the New York State Horse Council after visiting the West Side facility Thursday to see firsthand how New York City's carriage horses are treated.

"It's wonderful," Marsha Himler said of the home to 76 of the iconic Central Park carriage horses.

"I can now say if anybody says to me, 'Well, have you seen it?' (that) yes, I have seen it. And I'm perfectly pleased with it," said Himler, who has headed the horse-advocating nonprofit group since 2011.

Marsha Himler, president of the New York State Horse Council, left, and Steven Malone, spokesman for the Horse and Carriage Association, right, pose with carriage horse Benny during a tour of the Clinton Park Stables in New York City on Thursday. (James Keivom/New York Daily News)

Himler said conditions at the stables are in complete contrast to how naysayers — who want Mayor de Blasio to put the horse carriage industry out to pasture — have depicted them.

"Most of that negative press is, in my opinion, from people (who have) never been here, don't know anything about horses, don't know whether a horse is being taken care of correctly or not, and they're going to listen to what they hear," Himler said.

She noted that ramps were cushioned with rubber mats to make descent and ascent for the horses easy, and that the 8-foot-by-10-foot horse stalls were roomy and well-ventilated. She was also impressed with the stable's misting system to cool down horse in hot weather.

"I know what it takes to take care of a horse. I know when they're being taken care of well and when they're not," said Himler, who owns a 47-acre horse farm in Saratoga Springs.

"They're probably safer than some of the horses out in pastures," she said of the animals housed at the Clinton Park Stables. "It's proof that they're not being treated cruelly."

During his campaign for mayor, de Blasio vowed to eliminate horse carriages while taking donations from NYCLASS — the primary group leading the charge for the ban.

Tyson is driven by Horse and Carriage Association spokesman Steven Malone. (James Keivom/New York Daily News)

"It's my personal opinion that it is a grave mistake if any type of legislature banning carriage horses passes," Himler said. "We're here to support the carriage horse industry and do whatever we can to see that it continues."

The Daily News launched a campaign in April to save the 156-year-old industry that supports at least 350 families. Nearly 40,000 people signed petitions in the paper and online that were delivered to de Blasio on July 16.

In June, a Quinnipiac University poll found that New York City voters — by 66% to 26% — say the mayor should not ban horse carriages.

Marsha Himler, president of the New York State Horse Council, left, and Steve Malone, spokesperson for the Horse and Carriage Association, pose with a carriage horse, during a tour of the Clinton Park Stables on Thursday, September 18, 2014 in New York, N.Y. (James Keivom / New York Daily News) (James Keivom/New York Daily News)

"We're very, very interested in what happens here in New York City with the carriage horse industry," Himler said. "Because if this goes, so goes possibly the rest of the country."

Himler toured the stables with Alison Clarke, the horse council's southeast regional director, and Shannon Budnik, the group's mid-Hudson regional director.

"These are above average stables," Clarke said. "People who are saying to the contrary haven't been inside."

Hey is for horses, and is seen in this stall's trough while straw generously blankets the ground. (James Keivom/New York Daily News)

Budnik agreed, describing the stables as "open, airy and very comfortable."

"Anyone who thinks otherwise should see it for themselves," Budnik said. "Don't just listen to what people are saying. Don't drink the Kool-Aid."

Steven Malone, spokesman for the Horse and Carriage Association, said he was "delighted" about giving the high-ranking horse council members a tour of the stables.

"It's just another brick for the foundation to solidify our place here in the city," Malone said.

"All horses should be as lucky to have owners and a facility as nice as this," he added. "It's not an environment that's cruel to horses, it's people who are cruel to horses. People this good deserve to stay in the business."

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Copyright © 2022, New York Daily News

Copyright © 2022, New York Daily News