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Dec 13, 2007 5:18 pm US/Eastern
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Arabbers' Horses Moved To Another Home
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
The city's famous arabbers are having their horses evicted once again. This time they are going to another tent, while plans for a permanent stable are still unclear.
The city tells
Suzanne Collins any horses not gone from the Pimlico site by Friday will be given to a horse rescue operation.
The arabbers, who sell produce from the back of a horse drawn cart, have been a Baltimore tradition for 100 years. In August, their stable on Retreat Street was condemned.
The city arranged a tent with stalls on a Pimlico Racetrack parking lot. But that agreement expired and the horses were moved Thursday to another tent on Fulton Avenue.
"Happy, no. The reason I say no, because we were originally supposed to go to a permanent site. They are taking us from one tent to another tent. So why would you be happy on that?" said Felix Wills, an arabber.
Forty-nine horses first came to Pimlico in August, but only 28 are allowed to move to the new tent. That's because the horses must be "working horses," moving produce or giving carriage rides, not retired or pets.
Arabbers have had to sell the non-working horses, give them to horse rescues or find an appropriate place for them.
Even as late as Thursday, some people had heard that the arabbers had a deadline to leave Pimlico and they came to see if they could help out or buy a horse or pony.
A couple settled on pony "Baby Jack" for the full asking price of $300.
"We thought we would do what we could to save any of them. Secondly, we were looking for a pony for one of our children," said Joe Davies.
A horse rescue organization helped move the horses Thursday to the new tent on Fulton Street.
"It's located under the Monroe Street bridge so that will provide additional protection from the frozen precipitation," said Olivia Farrow, Assistant Health Commissioner.
The arabbers say their horses have been standing in water when it rains for four months. Now they've moved to a lot of mud. They want the city to preserve their colorful trade and find the horses a bricks and mortar home.
Despite the Friday deadline, workers still haven't gotten up the second tent on Fulton Avenue so half the horses can't move. The city also just ironed out a water problem at the new site, but they still have no electricity.
The arabbers say they not only provide fresh produce to city residents, but give Baltimore children a chance to see and pet horses.
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