The fight over New York City’s iconic horse-drawn carriages is back in full stride. The animal rights group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) has spent millions over the past decade pushing to end the practice — and replace it with electric alternatives. According to The New York Post, tax filings show the organization spent $1.27 million in 2022 alone, including nearly three-quarters of a million dollars on advertising and lobbying lawmakers.
At the center of their campaign is “Ryder’s Law,” named for a horse that collapsed and died on a Manhattan street in 2022. The proposed legislation, backed by Mayor Eric Adams, would ban horse carriages, relocate the animals to rescue farms, and provide job transition programs for current drivers. NYCLASS says it reflects a modern vision of compassion — one that prioritizes both worker welfare and animal protection.
The powerful Transport Workers Union (TWU), which represents the drivers, calls the movement a “smear campaign.” Union president John Samuelsen accused NYCLASS of hypocrisy, claiming its donors are motivated by real estate interests rather than empathy. But NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant fired back, saying her group has rescued horses “discarded and sent to slaughter” and that “carriages are a dying, obsolete business being replaced in cities around the world.”
The debate reveals a deeper question about what kind of city New York wants to be — one that clings to nostalgic tourism or embraces humane, forward-looking change. For millions of visitors, the sight of horses pulling carriages through Central Park is charming. For others, it’s a symbol of exploitation in need of retirement.
With overwhelming public Support for Ryder’s Law, the movement to end carriage rides may finally be at a tipping point. Choosing compassion for animals and cleaner transport reflects a future where the planet — and its sentient beings — come first.
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