New York City ends the use of carriage horses

Today, the New York City Council voted to end horse-drawn carriage operations in the city. The passage of Intro 943 marks a historic milestone for animals. 

For decades, New York City’s carriage horse industry has operated on a fantasy that these horse-drawn vehicles can carry some romance of an earlier time. But animals are not symbols; they are living, breathing individuals with needs, instincts and intentions all their own. By ending the use of horse-drawn carriages, the City Council has recognized that no maintenance of tradition should come at the expense of risks to animals and people.  

The end of horse-drawn carriage rides in New York City is something to celebrate. It is an acknowledgement that the best way to honor horses is to refrain from asking them to keep carrying yesterday’s burdens amid today’s traffic, crowds, noise and other stressors. It is a recognition that we now understand and can provide what these animals need to thrive. Horses are highly sensitive animals with powerful flight instincts; they cannot exist happily or safely alongside the traffic, noise and congestion of New York City streets.  

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who brokered the deal

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who brokered the deal with the New York City Council to advance this legislation, now has 30 days to sign Intro 943, veto or to simply allow the bill to pass without action on his part.  

Aaron Gekoski/HIDDEN / We Animals

The end of this inhumane and outdated industry follows years of incidents that have endangered horses and people alike.  

Just this past June, an 18-year-old tourist tragically died in a runaway carriage accident. And earlier that month, a 16-year-old carriage horse collapsed while pulling passengers in Central Park and later died. In the lead up to this vote, we issued a special report showing that the carriage horse industry is simply untenable in a place like New York. That report, Who is responsible for protecting New York City’s carriage horses?examines the inherent problems with keeping carriage horses in and around Manhattan’s Central Park as a tourist attraction. I’ve urged that the horses be retired to sanctuaries, and that drivers in this industry should be offered help to transition to other livelihoods, to ensure the end of this custom be as humane and compassionate as possible for everyone.   

Dozens of rescues, sanctuaries and nonprofit organizations, including

Dozens of rescues, sanctuaries and nonprofit organizations, including Humane World for Animals, have offered placement options for horses currently working in the city, and we look forward to the moment when the harnesses are finally unbuckled and the last New York City carriage horses are safely removed from the streets.   

Kitty Block is president and CEO of Humane World for Animals. Follow Kitty Block on X.  

About the Author

Kitty Block is the chief executive officer and president of Humane World for Animals, as well as the chief executive officer of Humane World Action Fund.