Council kills bill banning horse-drawn carriages in NYC
A City Council bill to phase out New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry has stalled after a committee voted against advancing it to a full Council vote. On Friday, the Council’s Committee on Health voted 1–4, with two abstentions, to block Ryder’s Law, sponsored by Council Member Robert Holden. The bill would end the city’s carriage horse industry by 2026 and help drivers transition to other jobs. Opponents, siding with the Transport Workers Union International (TWU), which represents carriage drivers, called the bill “ill-conceived and silly.”
Introduced in 2022, Ryder’s Law is named after a horse that collapsed in Hell’s Kitchen and was later euthanized. After the incident, a poll conducted by the Animal Legal Defense Fund found that 71 percent of New Yorkers supported banning horse-carriage rides, according to Fox 5.
During Monday’s Council meeting, which was not a public hearing, Holden reportedly opened the session by quoting Mahatma Gandhi and arguing that the city had failed to protect vulnerable animals, as reported by amNY.
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated, and that compassion should extend to all living beings, especially in the most helpless,” Holden said. “The greatness of a city council should also be measured by that, and the greatness of a council member should be measured by that.”
Holden also accused his colleagues of discrimination and claimed the committee had delayed a public hearing on the issue for four years. He cited cities around the world that have banned carriage horses and attempted to introduce a motion to schedule a hearing, but the effort was rejected because he is not a member of the committee.
“It gets blocked because of discrimination,” Holden said, according to amNY. “It gets blocked because of people who are actually in lockstep with special interests, not the interests of New Yorkers, not the interests of animals, not the interests of the city of New York.”
Council Member James Gennaro pushed back on Holden’s claims, calling them inaccurate and noting that the carriage industry has operated for 150 years without a single criminal conviction for animal cruelty. He defended earlier legislation intended to protect horses and dismissed the bill as “ill-conceived and silly.”
Additionally, Council Member Justin Brannan, a self-described animal lover and animal-rights advocate, said that while he cares about the welfare of carriage horses, the bill was “mishandled” and “lacked meaningful dialogue,” noting that Holden never reached out to discuss the legislation.
Council spokesperson Benjamin Fang-Estrada echoed that view, saying, “To successfully advance a bill, it requires a lead sponsor to do the legislative work of building support with their colleagues and collaborating with stakeholders to bring people of different views together to advance solutions,” as reported by amNY.
He added, “The Council recognizes that this is a difficult and emotional issue, and any path forward requires a sponsor bringing all parties together in a constructive way.”
The bill had gained the support of Mayor Eric Adams in September, who called for an end to the carriage industry and said his administration would explore a new program for electric carriages, “so New Yorkers and visitors can continue to enjoy the majesty of Central Park.”
Following Friday’s vote, Adams criticized the Council’s decision in a post on X, calling it a “shame.”
“Our historic executive order was lauded by advocates, elected officials, and every candidate for mayor,” Adams wrote. “It’s a shame that the City Council has once again refused to follow the will of our citizens, while simultaneously endangering pedestrians, drivers, and animals alike.”
New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS), a nonprofit animal-rights organization, condemned the vote as “one of the most undemocratic displays” it has seen. The group also praised Holden for invoking a “rarely used rule” to force the committee to meet after the bill had previously been blocked.
“Horses have collapsed, even dropped dead on the streets recently,” the group wrote on X. “Multiple horses have had violent runaway spooking incidents, crashing into vehicles, sending New Yorkers to the hospital, and nearly trampling others. These dangers are exactly why a public hearing is urgently needed.”
They added: “Today’s sham meeting only happened because Bob Holden had to use a rarely invoked rule to force the committee to meet after the bill had been blocked. His action brought this corrupt situation into full public view.”
In August, the Central Park Conservancy took a side in the matter for the first time, backing Ryder’s Law. The group pointed to several incidents, including a May episode in which horses broke free in Central Park. In one case, a horse injured a pedicab driver, putting other parkgoers at risk, as 6sqft previously reported.
That same month, a 15-year-old mare named Lady died from an aortic rupture, likely caused by a small tumor in her adrenal gland, CBS reported. Animal rights groups claimed that Ryder’s Law could prevent such incidents, which TWU countered, as it was a “sudden-death medical episode” that “would kill a horse anywhere.”
September also marked the third time in 2025 that a carriage horse broke free from its handler in Central Park. In that incident, a horse named Bambi ran loose, frightening parkgoers and forcing three passengers to jump from the speeding carriage.
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The Horses and their Carriage Drivers will live to Take people on a peaceful ride through Central Park. The City could build Stables to house the Horses in the Park. The Carriages rides are a part of New York City Tradition and allows people to see Live healthy horses.