Jennifer Coolidge Calls for Ban on Cruel NYC Carriage Horses
The actor is the latest public figure to add their name in support of passing Ryder’s Law, which would replace horse-drawn carriages in the city with electric carriages.
Credit: Jennifer Coolidge/Facebook
Award-winning actor Jennifer Coolidge has announced her support for a ban on carriage horses in New York City.
Writing a comment on Species Unite’s Instagram post about carriage horses, Coolidge called on NYC lawmakers to ban the use of carriage horses in the city. “It’s not medieval times”, she wrote, “animal abuse like this should end forever.”
The White Lotus actor’s comments were inspired by last month’s news that a carriage horse in Midtown had broken free from a carriage and ran wildly into traffic on the West Side Highway. The horse, named Gunner, then collided into a car before collapsing on the street with injuries.
Gunner’s story is just the latest incident involving the horse carriage industry in NYC, which has faced mounting public criticism after several high-profile cases have kept the issue in the public spotlight for several years.
A 12-year-old mare named Aisha collapsed and died while giving carriage rides in Central Park back in 2020. Before her death, she was filmed stumbling and unable to straighten her back legs, before completely collapsing. In an effort to make her stand, carriage-industry workers appeared to blow smoke into Aisha’s face, leading her to flip over in terror.
The following year, a New York carriage horse named Chief crashed into the back of a BMW and suffered deep lacerations to his midsection, head, and front right leg.
Then, in 2022, a carriage horse named Ryder was filmed collapsing on a sidewalk in New York. In passerby footage which went viral, the horse can be seen being whipped and hit by his owner while in a collapsed state. According to a subsequent veterinary examination, Ryder was malnourished, sick, and elderly, and he was euthanized a few months after the incident.
Collapsed Ryder in the viral footage. Credit: Voters For Animal Rights
Ryder’s tragic story went on to inspire a proposed new legislation - named Ryder’s Law - that seeks to replace horse-drawn carriages in the city with electric carriages.
The proposed ban, introduced last year by New York City Council member Robert Holden of District 30, now needs to be passed by New York Councilors to become law. It follows similar bans across the country in cities like Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Palm Beach.
Coolidge mentioned Ryder in her statement, commenting that “we all remember Ryder [...] and of course he died a terrible death after collapsing on the street on a scorching day.”
“Pass Ryder’s Law [...] it should be the only option!”, the American Pie star said.
Credit: Amy Jones/Moving Animals
Other notable public figures who have also added their name in support of the new law include model Bella Hadid, who said it was “barbaric” to force horses like Ryder to pull heavy carriages in extreme heat and in the busiest city in America.
Ethical Alternatives
Around the world, popular tourist destinations that allow carriage horses have increasingly faced calls to ban the practice and provide more ethical alternatives. In 2020, Dominican Republic’s historic capital city of Santo Domingo replaced horse-drawn carriages with modern, animal-free electrice carriages, while Chicago that same year became the largest city in the US to ban horse-drawn carriage rides, after a decade-long attempt to regulate the industry failed to help protect the horses.
Most recently, the Belgian capital city of Brussels announced a ban on carriage horses, with electric carriages set to replace them in January 2024. Similar bans have been announced this year by other cities popular with tourists, ranging from Prague in the Czech Republic to Melbourne in Australia.
Take Action
Join Species Unite in urging New York councilors to end the cruel horse drawn carriage industry and pass Ryder’s Law. A recent survey revealed that 71 percent of New Yorkers want to ban this industry and keep horses safe. Add your name to the petition here.
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