Just days after 18-year-old tourist Romanch Mahajan was killed in a horse-drawn carriage crash in New York City’s Central Park — and less than two weeks after a 16-year-old horse named Deniz collapsed and died hauling passengers — the cruel, outdated industry was back in business.
Lady Freethinker documented its return to New York, where horses were once again navigating city traffic alongside taxis, buses, cyclists and pedestrians. The animals stood for extended periods amid constant vehicle noise, crowded sidewalks, and summer heat waiting to pull the next customer through Central Park.
At a press conference and vigil honoring Mahajan, the teen’s family, elected officials, and animal protection advocates called for reforms — or an end to this long-protested practice altogether.
Photo of Romanch Mahajan Memorial During a Vigil (LFT/Aaron Gekoski)
Some carriage drivers said business had slowed following the fatal crash, with a few reporting they could go an entire day without finding customers — all the while, horses waited, hitched to carriages while standing on the hard pavement.
A Horse Standing on a Busy Street in New York City (LFT/Aaron Gekoski)
For years, Last Freethinker and many other animal advocates have urged lawmakers to stop this deadly, needless, and exploitative industry. The deaths of both Deniz and Mahajan have intensified calls for New York City to join other U.S. cities that have already ended horse-drawn carriage rides and transitioned to humane alternatives.
A bill was originally introduced after Ryder, an elderly carriage horse, collapsed during a Manhattan heat wave in 2022 and was later euthanized. Following Mahajan’s death, the proposal was reintroduced and renamed in his honor.
Take action: Sign Lady Freethinker’s petition urging the New York City Council to pass Romanch’s Law, end horse-drawn carriage rides in New York City, and replace them with cruelty-free electric carriage rides while supporting carriage industry workers as they transition to new employment.
