<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/new-york-city/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">New York City</a> Mayor <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/zohran-mamdani/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zohran Mamdani</a> stated that the city’s horse carriages around Central Park are "coming to an end" following an agreement with the City Council speaker.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Local government and advocacy groups have long sought to ban the horse carriage rides, citing concerns over the well-being of the horses. The New York City Council is reportedly closer than ever to abolishing the 160-year-old tradition, which has faced criticism due to incidents involving horse deaths.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">"The horse carriage industry is coming to an end in New York City," Mamdani stated in <a href="https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/2110136825293717787?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a social media post</a>. "Our administration will make sure workers and owners are protected and the horses are safe." </p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><em>Politico</em> <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/13/mamdani-menin-horse-drawn-carriages-nyc-01116617" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reported</a> that Mamdani and Council Speaker Julie Menin have reached an agreement for the mayor’s administration to support legislation that would make operating horse-drawn carriages illegal starting in June 2028.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Menin announced plans to convene a focus group to address necessary areas for phasing out the industry. She indicated that legislation on the ban is set to be presented to the council next week, with half of the council already in support and Mamdani’s endorsement, suggesting the bill is likely to pass.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The city government began restricting horse carriage operations in the 1980s, and the first legislative efforts to ban the industry were introduced in 2008. Since then, various attempts to phase out or ban horse carriages have not succeeded.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The situation became more complex when carriage operators joined the Transport Workers Union of America in 2020, creating a significant bloc that has influenced previous efforts to ban the attraction, as many operators rely on this industry for their livelihood.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Mamdani, who identifies as a socialist, has advocated for organized labor and may encounter resistance from the TWU. However, the proposed legislation includes plans for a transitional program for carriage operators. The union has called for enhanced safety regulations and has opposed sweeping bans.</p>
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<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The bill currently under consideration was initially named Ryder’s Law after a 14-year-old carriage horse that collapsed in 2022 and was later euthanized due to cancer. This legislation, which aimed to reduce licenses for the occupation, was stalled in 2025.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Ryder’s Law was reintroduced this year following another incident where a carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park. Additionally, a tourist, Romanch Mahajan, 18, died after falling from a carriage when the operator lost control. The bill was subsequently renamed Romanch’s Law, as he was the first recorded fatality resulting from horse-drawn carriages.</p>