New York City’s carriage horses are a step closer to a life free from pulling tourists through busy streets. On October 22, the City Council voted 40–7, with two abstentions, to pass Romanch’s Law, a bill that will wind down the city’s horse-drawn carriage industry by June 1, 2028.
Lady Freethinker sends a heartfelt thank-you to the animal advocates and groups in New York and across the globe who have spent years fighting to end this cruel industry, including the nearly 40,000 people who signed our petition. Your persistence has kept horses’ suffering in the public eye and the demand for change before city leaders.
Under the Council-approved bill, the city will phase out the carriage industry and prohibit transferring licensed horses for slaughter or use in another horse-drawn cab business. The bill also requires a transition plan to help drivers and stable workers find other employment. Limited permits for temporary special events, including weddings and filming, will remain available. Though the bill still needs to be signed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani before these changes can take effect, his administration has reportedly agreed to back the bill.
Horses have paid for this industry with their lives. In 2022, Ryder collapsed in Manhattan during a summer heat wave. Exhausted and struggling to walk before he fell in traffic, he was later euthanized after veterinarians found what were described as “serious medical conditions.” More recently, a horse named Deniz collapsed and died while pulling tourists through Central Park.
The industry has proven deadly for riders as well. Romanch Mahajan, an 18-year-old tourist, died after a carriage horse bolted in Central Park and threw him to the ground. Following the tragic incident, the proposal, previously known as Ryder’s Law, was renamed Romanch’s Law in his honor.
Lady Freethinker founder Nina Jackel called for an end to horse-drawn carriages in a recent USA Today op-ed, highlighting their incompatibility with animal welfare and modern cityscapes. Horses should never have to endure busy, noisy roadways and harsh weather so people can take a sightseeing ride.
Council passage is a hard-fought victory for everyone who has refused to let this suffering be dismissed as tradition. Horses still need protection throughout the transition, and LFT will continue speaking up for them.
We hope other cities will soon follow New York’s lead and end this cruel and outdated practice, which is still permitted in places like Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana; Marrakech, Morocco; Lampang, Thailand; and Bruges, Belgium.
To everyone who has stood up for these horses, thank you. Let this vote encourage more cities to choose compassionate tourism and bring horse-drawn carriage rides to an end.
