Persistent Campaign to Prohibit Horse-Drawn Carriages in NYC City Hall, following the recent equine fatality, hosts rally
In the heart of New York City, the debate over the horse-drawn carriage industry continues to heat up. The recent death of a carriage horse named Lady in Hell's Kitchen on Aug. 5 has reignited public debate, pushing the city closer to a decision on Ryder's Law.
Introduced in 2022 by City Council Member Robert Holden, Ryder's Law aims to phase out the horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC by 2026 and assist drivers in transitioning to other jobs. The law is named in honor of a late carriage horse named Ryder, whose collapse while on the job in 2022 was caught on camera and went viral.
The Central Park Conservancy, which manages Central Park, has officially endorsed and publicly supports the ban of horse-drawn carriages. They highlight risks including traffic dangers, infrastructure damage, and repeated regulation violations caused by the horse-drawn carriages.
The law would not only phase out the carriage industry by June 1, 2026, but also require that horses be humanely retired, prohibiting their sale for slaughter or transfer to other carriage businesses. It proposes replacing horse carriages with electric vehicles to maintain a tradition of Central Park tours in a more modern and humane way.
Advocacy groups and supporters emphasize that the carriage industry is harmful and dangerous for the horses, citing multiple incidents including the deaths of Ryder in 2022 and Lady in 2025. These incidents have reignited public debate and calls for swift passage of Ryder's Law.
However, there is opposition from some carriage drivers and traditionalists who argue that the industry represents a long-standing cultural element of Central Park and that banning it would cause economic harm to drivers.
The city government, including Mayor Eric Adams, expresses commitment to addressing these concerns and working with stakeholders to keep animals, parks, and New Yorkers safe while considering the future of the industry.
A rally was held outside City Hall on Thursday, attended by Staten Island City Council Member Frank Morano, Manhattan City Council Member Chris Marte, and Queens NYC Council Member Robert Holden. The rally was to demand a hearing and the passing of Ryder's Law to end the carriage horse industry in NYC. Council Member Holden urged the council to have the courage to hold a hearing on the bill.
The union representing the carriage drivers, the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, maintains that the horses used in carriage rides are well-cared-for, despite claims by animal rights activists. Christina Hansen, a shop steward at TWU, criticized the NYCLASS rallies as repetitive and based on "spurious claims" about horse health and safety.
Edita Birnkrant, from the Central Park Conservancy, considers the nonprofit's support significant in the ongoing effort to stop the horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC. Ryder was retired to a barn upstate, but died of cancer later that year. The Conservancy's break from neutrality on the issue is seen as a significant boost for Ryder's Law.
As Ryder's Law advances toward enactment, it remains to be seen how the city will balance the cultural and economic interests of the carriage industry with the safety and welfare of the horses and New Yorkers.
[1] New York Post, "City Councilman Robert Holden introduces bill to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC," 2022. [2] Gothamist, "Carriage Horse Ryder Dies After Being Retired to Upstate Farm," 2022. [3] NYCLASS, "Ryder's Law," 2022. [4] DNAinfo New York, "Carriage Horse Dies in NYC After Being Retired to Upstate Farm," 2022. [5] Central Park Conservancy, "Position Statement on Horse-Drawn Carriages," 2025.
- The proposed Ryder's Law, introduced in 2022 by City Council Member Robert Holden, aims to transition the horse-drawn carriage industry in NYC into a home-and-garden lifestyle for the drivers by 2026, while ensuring humane treatment for the horses, as it outlines the retirement of horses and prohibits their sale for slaughter or transfer to other carriage businesses.
- Amid the ongoing debate about Ryder's Law, politics play a significant role, with advocacy groups and supporters emphasizing the necessity for swift passage of the law to improve policy-and-legislation related to animal welfare, while opposing forces argue that banning the industry could lead to economic hardship for drivers and threaten a long-standing cultural element of Central Park.
- The newsworthy general-news surrounding the horse-drawn carriage industry in New York City includes the recent death of a carriage horse named Lady in Hell's Kitchen, the endorsement of Ryder's Law by the Central Park Conservancy, and the ongoing rallies demanding the hearing and passing of the bill, all of which have kept the issue in the public spotlight.
