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6d ago

Central Park Conservancy Endorses Ryder’s Law to Phase Out Horse-Drawn Carriages

The endorsement adds new urgency to a stalled bill to phase out carriage horses by 2026, prompting union warnings of major job losses.

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A carriage horse is seen pulling an 1,800-pound carriage, tourists and the driver in the scorching heat inside Central Park on June 18, 2024. Animal activists call the carriage-horse industry inhumane, but the union representing the drivers says the powerful work horses have been bred for this labor. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Daily News)
Carriage horses move through Central Park in midtown Manhattan on August 06, 2025 in New York City.
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Overview

  • The Central Park Conservancy broke its decades-long neutrality by formally supporting Ryder’s Law, a City Council proposal to halt new carriage licenses and end horse-drawn operations by mid-2026.
  • Conservancy President Elizabeth W. Smith highlighted recent runaway horse incidents, accelerated deterioration of newly repaved drives by steel horseshoes, and persistent manure concerns as the basis for the endorsement.
  • Ryder’s Law, introduced in 2022, has gathered 19 sponsors but has yet to receive a Council hearing, spurring animal welfare groups to rally for an expedited vote.
  • Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen criticized the move as “outrageous,” warning it could cost about 200 drivers and stable workers their livelihoods and erode a historic trade.
  • Mayor Eric Adams has pledged to convene carriage industry representatives, animal advocates and park officials to explore regulatory alternatives as the legislative effort gains momentum.