The Central Park Conservancy has officially called for a ban on horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, citing growing safety concerns, infrastructure damage, and repeated regulatory violations. In a letter to city officials, Conservancy President Betsy Smith highlighted recent incidents involving runaway horses, damage to newly repaved park roads caused by carriage horses, and sanitation issues. The Conservancy supports the proposed Ryder’s Law, which would phase out horse carriages, retire existing horses humanely, and provide retraining for workers. This stance follows public outcry after a carriage horse named Lady collapsed and died, with animal rights groups like PETA pushing for legislative action.
The carriage industry and its supporters have pushed back against the Conservancy’s position, arguing that horse-drawn carriages are a historic and integral part of Central Park’s character. Veteran carriage driver Christina Hansen and the Transport Workers Union International criticized the ban as harmful to workers and questioned the safety claims, pointing instead to faster-moving vehicles like e-bikes and scooters as greater risks. They also emphasized the park’s original design intent, which included horse carriages as a key feature. Despite this opposition, growing public and political momentum appears to favor ending the carriage horse tradition in New York City.
