The New York Times goes live from the hack stand…

How do you combine a love of history with your love of horses? Emory History Honors alumna Christina Hansen (’02C) grew up in Lexington, KY. She is a co-founder of Blue Star Equiculture @equiculture, a sanctuary for retired working horses in Palmer, Massachusetts.  Blue Star visits local fairs, schools, and farm markets and gives presentations explaining how “History is Written in Hooves.” Through its partnership with the Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts, Blue Star shows future vets and farmers how to care for draft horses.  It runs workshops on equine first aid and pasture management, for instance, and leads eco-tours.  The Sanctuary works with military veterans, seniors, Girl and Boy Scout clubs, and 4-H groups.  If you are in the area, you might like to know that every Saturday Blue Star offers wagon rides at the Sanctuary.  (And if you are looking for a horse, Blue Star runs an adoption program.)

Christina began her career as a horse advocate and carriage driver in historic Philadelphia. She answered an ad that asked, “Do you love horses? Do you love history? Do we have a job for you!” Since her move to NYC 5 years ago, she has become a prominent and active spokesperson for the city’s carriage horses, as well as driving a vintage carriage.  She has appeared often on television and in print media.  In these two New York Times live interviews from the spring of 2017, Christina discusses the history of horses in the city, the regulations that protect them (some of the most comprehensive equine ordinances in the country), and even the nineteenth-century carriage she drives.  The interviews with NYT reporter Masha Goncharova also feature her horses, King and Hoffa. The first live interview was so popular that the NYT made a return visit.  You can follow her on Twitter @carriagecavalry and/or @NYCHorses and on the website she created “Carriage On.” If you look around the website, you also will find tours of their stables. If you are interested, check out the video “Save NYC Horse Carriages,” narrated by Liam Neeson. #CarriageOn  http://carriageon.com/nytlive/