Ban Horse Carriages in NYC

UPDATE (06/20/24): Progress! New York City Council Member Robert F. Holden has reintroduced Ryder’s Law. The newly reintroduced bill Int. No. 967 has been referred to the Committee on Health.

In August of 2022 a video went viral when Ryder, an emaciated and elderly horse pulling a horse-drawn carriage, collapsed from exhaustion in Midtown New York City on a sweltering summer day. Tragically, Ryder ended up dying, and nearly two years later we are still fighting for justice for New York’s carriage horses.

In the horse-drawn carriage industry in New York City, horses face a lifetime of suffering. Cities, especially huge metropolises like New York City, are nowhere near ideal environments for horses. Loud noises stress them out, they do not have the space they need to move around, the hot asphalt hurts their hooves, they cannot graze, and they are forced to constantly breathe in exhaust fumes. Add on the fact that these horses have to endure the extreme heat of summer and the extreme cold of winter while they are pulling heavy carriages, and you have a recipe for misery for these precious animals.

The people in this industry see horses as a means to an end, as opposed to sensitive individuals worthy of respect. New York carriage drivers have faced charges in the past for forcing horses to work while sick and visibly in pain, and horse stables in the city have been exposed for housing these animals in cramped, filthy, stalls.

This industry can be very dangerous for people as well. When horses get scared, they tend to bolt; this doesn’t mix well with being in a crowded city. There have been multiple incidences of “hit and run” situations, where cyclists and pedestrians, including children, have been hospitalized after being hit by carriages or terrified horses fleeing stressful traffic situations.

And the people of New York City are aware of this. That is why a survey revealed that 71% of New Yorkers want to put an end to this industry.

Thankfully, New York has the opportunity to join cities across the country, such as Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Palm Beach, that have already banned this cruel practice by passing Int. No. 967 Ryder’s Law. Ryder’s Law, which was first introduced in 2022 by New York City Council member Robert Holden of District 30, would ban horse-drawn carriages and mandate the humane retirement of the horses currently working in New York. The bill would prohibit selling New York’s carriage horses for slaughter, or to work as carriage horses elsewhere, saving them from years of stress, fear and suffering.

What can you do?

We can help end the suffering of these horses. Sign our petition to urge New York City Council Members to do what is right by finally passing Ryder’s Law, giving these horses the lives they deserve.