Overview

• For the first time, the Conservancy formally opposed horse-drawn carriages by writing to Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to support Ryder’s Law.
• Last week’s collapse and death of a horse named Lady in Hell’s Kitchen reignited debate over carriage operations in Central Park.
• The Conservancy warned that heavy carriages have degraded newly repaved asphalt on park drives and investigations found persistent horse manure along West Drive.
• Ryder’s Law carries 19 sponsor signatures in the City Council; it has yet to secure a committee hearing.
• Carriage drivers backed by the Transport Workers Union Local 100 oppose an outright ban; they argue that measures such as regular veterinary checks alongside work limits would better protect their industry.