Will 2026 finally be the year of the horse?<\/p>\n
New York City Council members joined animal welfare advocates from NYCLASS and PETA today to rally on the steps of City Hall to advocate \u2013 yet again \u2013 for the passage of Ryder\u2019s Law, which would effectively ban horse-drawn carriages. This time, Council Member Christopher Marte is the bill\u2019s prime sponsor and plans to reintroduce it at the council\u2019s stated meeting Thursday. The rally was charged with renewed anger after a carriage horse collapsed and died<\/a> Tuesday in Central Park.<\/p>\n The new version of Ryder\u2019s Law \u2013 named after a carriage horse who collapsed in Hell\u2019s Kitchen in 2022 and was later euthanized \u2013 updates the version<\/a> sponsored by then-Council Member Bob Holden, which was defeated in committee last year despite support from former mayor Eric Adams<\/a>. The initiative to phase out the city\u2019s horse-drawn carriage industry is a recurring theme in city government, with Bill de Blasio also supporting a ban during his 2013 mayoral campaign, then failing to advance it over his eight years as mayor. The issue was a hot topic during the most recent mayoral election, too, with all three leading candidates voicing their support<\/a> for a horse-drawn carriage ban.<\/p>\n During the spring primary, Zohran Mamdani responded to a NYCLASS questionnaire saying that he would support legislation and efforts to shut down the horse-drawn carriage industry. But the mayor also has a good relationship with the Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage horse operators and has opposed the effort.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs I\u2019ve said, I support removing horse carriages from Central Park. I’ve also said that I look forward to working with union partners and community leaders to actually deliver on that,\u201d Mamdani told reporters at an unrelated press conference Wednesday morning. \u201cI think in Central Park, what we’ve seen is a lot of concern about the welfare of these horses, and I want to figure out a way for us to actually get to the end of that.\u201d<\/p>\n TWU didn\u2019t immediately respond to a request for comment, but TWU Local 100 Vice President Alexander Kemp told amNewYork it was \u201ctelling\u201d that Marte has not detailed any plans providing economic support for carriage drivers and owners that will lose their jobs should the bill pass.<\/p>\n \u201cWe strongly disagree with Councilman Marte\u2019s premise that carriage horses are mistreated and need to be banned and evicted from their homes,\u201d Kemp said.<\/p>\n City Council Speaker Julie Menin has been less forthright about whether she supports the legislation, even though she co-created the Animal Welfare Caucus<\/a> in March.<\/p>\n \u201cThe death of a carriage horse in Central Park is always troubling, and we understand this is a difficult and emotional issue for many New Yorkers,\u201d a spokesperson for Menin told City & State. \u201cMultiple bills about this issue will be introduced this week and will go through the legislative process to allow for input from all stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n The Central Park Conservancy released a statement Wednesday following the dying in Central Park, citing seven horse-related incidents in the park in the last 13 months and called on lawmakers to pass Ryder\u2019s Law.<\/p>\n