By West Side Rag
A horse pulling a carriage escaped its handler Monday in Central Park, knocking down a traffic sign and forcing passengers to jump out of the vehicle to escape, dramatic video of the event shows.
The runaway horse got loose on Labor Day near the Central Park Dairy building, close to the 65th Street Transverse Road, according to video posted on the Stopping NYC Horse Abuse Instagram page.
Video shows the horse pulling a carriage with no driver; the horse runs over a crosswalk sign before continuing down the road as passengers jump out of the back, and a man, presumably the horse’s handler, runs behind the cart yelling out.
“Call 911,” an eyewitness says.
View this post on Instagram
“Moments ago in Central Park, a terrified horse spooked and bolted out of control, dragging a carriage full of customers and smashing through a stop sign, garbage cans, and other objects in its path,” reads the caption on the Stopping NYC Horse Abuse Instagram account.
A spokesperson from the Central Park Conservancy confirmed to West Side Rag that the horse has been contained as of 3:20 p.m.
“Please read our letter from last month on why carriage horses no longer belong in Central Park,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to the Rag. “Today’s incident only underscores our concern about the dangers posed by horses in the increasingly crowded Park.”
The runaway horse comes weeks after the conservancy publicly called for the first time for the end of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park. The call from the conservancy came one week after a horse pulling a carriage collapsed and died in Hell’s Kitchen, which reignited the conversation around banning the form of transportation in the city.
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I’ve brought it up before Kramer’s Rickshaws are an idea whose time has come. In all seriousness thank Goodness no one was hurt
I had thought the carriages had been banned awhile ago. Like during De Blasio’s,s administration. Regardless, I hope everyone including the horse are on . And I also wonder what happens to the drivers, what work do they do if the ban goes through. And I guess the horses go to a sanctuary
I really don’t care what the drivers have to do for work, but the horses need to go to a sanctuary. I hope the driver realizes how lucky he was that no one was injured. How far does this have to go before the law is changed?!
Will you be funding the “sanctuary”?
Yes, there are sanctuaries for big animals across the countries that are 501(c)3s that any individual with a care for living beings and a few extra dollars can help fund. One is Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in upstate NY! Feel free to donate https://woodstocksanctuary.org/donate
Love Woodstock!!! ❤️
I just sold my house up Woodstock after 26 years.
It was on Millstream, the big red house overlooking the stream.
I would not move back after what I saw when I visit there this summer it is so crowded and too much building going on for such a little town.
The horses have people already dedicated to rehoming them – they have for years
We contribute what we can to Farm Sanctuary upstate and Best Friends Animal Society (formerly Sanctuary).
Of course, why is that even a question? Sanctuaries already exist because people are funding them!
And what then when they run out of animals to give sanctuary to?
Any other questions, Billy?
Donations !!! We have been taxed for everything else. Have a heart ❤️
Well, presumably you won’t. I probably will, as I already donate to several animal sanctuaries, along with thousands of other concerned people.
Nope, Liam Neeson and a bunch of Giuliani types complained that it was anti union because their irish uncles from Woodside would be out of a job which is ridiculous.
Those are the same ppl who say that horses would be glue if we didn’t save them for this purpose. The illogic is astounding.
It is true. Domesticated animals are raised for work purposes only. They are not pets. If not in use, they do not exist at all.
Who thought De Blasio was serious?
No, the bill was never passed. De Blasio never had the power to pass a bill on his own. The NYC City Council needs to pass the bill into law, and there were not enough sponsors in City Council. In order to have a bill passed, first the intro has to pass out of committee. Then Council Speaker has to bring the intro to the floor for a vote. Then, the Council votes on the intro. A majority of yea votes will pass the bill. There needs to be a huge show of backing by the public, by people contacting their Council Members and demanding that the bill is passed.
At the present time, Speaker Adrienne Adams can bring the bill to the floor, but again, people must call her and state that they’re in favor of a ban, and request that she bring the bill to the floor for a vote. Her phone number: Telephone: 718-206-2068
The bill should stipulate that the horses go to a sanctuary, and not be sent for slaughter to Canada or Mexico, like they are now when they can’t work anymore.
The drivers can get a job driving electric cars as has long been proposed. Or any other honest work.
Time for the horses to find a new home in the country.
Ridiculous.
Why?
I don’t understand how there was a passanger but no driver. Did the driver leave with a passanger sitting in the carriage or was it parked by Tavern on the Green when a random person decided to get in?
Perhaps he got down to have a smoke, fell out, or had to pee, or take a phone call, and he assumed the horse wouldn’t object. Maybe the passengers were misbehaving and he was calling for help, maybe the horse was trying to get away from the passengers; maybe the horse was disgusted by their making out, or smoking, or eating. Ask the horse.
I think it’s time to end the horse carriage rides. Maybe it would be a better idea to build a stable in the park and have horseback riding instead. These horses are housed far from the park and you see the fear in their eyes when they’re driven through traffic. They are really stressed.
Obviously you never heard of the Claremont Riding Academy… done in by the same crowd that’s against horse carriages…
No, that’s not the case. The owner couldn’t afford to maintain the Academy because it was determined that some children couldn’t afford the fee which was deemed discriminatory.
And yet the Claremont Academy site became an expensive private school, which some children also cannot afford!
“Done in”?
Claremont was a block away from my first apartment in the city. We miss it.
Claremont’s closing had absolutely nothing to do with that at all. It was strictly a real estate issue. There are early electric model cars that most cities have adapted in lieu of horses. They are cleaner, don’t require cleaning of poop, shoeing, or feeding, and are adorable. If you aren’t aware, the first time around the cars also replaced the horses — I am talking about the turn of the 19th into the 20th century. Time to turn once again. The same drivers will still have jobs. Their vehicle changes, that’s all.
Poor horse, and poor frightened humans! So glad no major injuries. Sounds like a good moment to advocate for the TRI-SHAW – an electric e-bike powered 2 seater outdoor vehicle! (Think e-bike tricycle plus rickshaw to get the name.) They are used in other cities, are quiet, non-polluting, offer lovely opportunities for people without easy mobility to be outdoors and tour the Park. Operators can get similar income from offering rides. No horse poop. I love horses and respect the work, but with the increasing heat and crowds in Central Park, the time has come. Happy retirement to the beautiful horses.
100% agree that the horse carriages in the park need to go but I’m not sure an electric rickshaw is the best replacement unless they’re very regulated. I’ve seen the pedicab operators who are already in the park ride extremely aggressively, even in pedestrian-only areas like the bridle path and running lane. How do we ensure the same doesn’t happen with these operators who are also presumably able to ride at higher speeds?
The pedicabs are already a blight on the park. Going the wrong way on the drive. Riding two abreast so people can’t pass on the lower loop etc
So Pigeon are you talking about the pedicabs of which we already have many in Central Park?
Still more likely to be killed or seriously injured in Central Park by a bike, ebike, criminal, or mentally deranged person.
Especially now since the Conervatory has removed the stop lights and disabled the Walk/Dont Walk buttons. Since they can’t control the bikes they seem to have decided to give the park over to them. Pedestrians be damned.
Irrelevant.
Point taken – avoid Bill!
Oy vey – Retire these horse carriages already!
This is long overdue.
OMG !
This is terrifying!!!
Another reason we should stop this horse and carriage in Central Park!!
Remove an iconic Central Park experience because people with any kind of vehicle – including bicycles – are less-easily banned, eh.
Iconic Central Park experience? Is that a joke?
No. It is a major attraction. It gives the horses something to do and a reason to be fed and housed. Otherwise, the horses would be roaming the streets, begging for food, sleeping in dirty alleyways, drinking alcohol, shooting up heroin…
I emailed the following people on August 5th after the last animal cruelty incident: Gale Brewer (District 6), Sen. Hoylman-Sigal, Keith Powers.
Not a single person/office responded. I thought this used to be on Brewer’s website as an issue, but I couldn’t see anything.
Has anyone had a different experience getting support from local officials on this? I’d genuinely appreciate hearing about it. Thanks!
That’s unbelievable. Not an issue they feel needs addressing as our representatives?
This makes it official!
Well, it’s time to think who you’re voting for now!
Agreed! I think the elected officials are afraid of the TWU Local 100 that backs the carriage horse practice (and ultimately their campaigns). Feels like something fairly low-charged that could bring people together…there are always like 6 tourists packed into those things like sardines too.
I’ve never received a response from a local official about anything. Here’s a link to an Instagram group that advocates for carriage horses (WARNING: disturbing images)!
https://www.instagram.com/nyclass/?hl=en
I have sent messages to Abreu’s office with no response or no response beyond “thanks for your message”
The City Council will never respect the will of the majority of their constituents—and act on behalf of these long-suffering horses — as long as the majority of them are cowed by and beholden to TWU 100.
Those poor horses. Get them out of the city to a sanctuary where they will receive excellent care and love 24/7. We don’t need them for tourism!
We need to stop these abuses and get these defenseless horses off the streets now. Enough is enough!!!
I feel no “romance” looking at a dead horse.
Enough with these poor horses on the streets of New York City. It’s totally inhumane!!!!
This should finally be stopped once and for all!
This should end. However, the noiseless vehicles that hold loudspeakers that could cause any creature to want to bolt, are also unnecessary in the park or anywhere, really.
Yeah those freak me out. Why can’t people just walk through the park
I wonder what spooked him. Probably a Cuomo. Animals never liked anyone in that family
Sad because it was a newly trained horse and it was spooked by a garbage truck. : (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBC7B45amf8
I don’t know what’s worse the horses or
the E Bikes. Both need to GO to restore
safety and tranquility to our precious Park
Another sad story about the Central Park horses dragging people around all day. Keep trying to stop this nonsense already- the horses are either dying or trying to escape.
The anthropomorphism is sick. Pulling a carriage is extremely easy for them to do, and natural. It gives them exercise so they can maintain their strength. They can enjoy the happiness of the riders, and the attention they get from passersby. Running is natural to a horse. A herd of horses runs like crazy in the wild. Traffic is not different. Living in the wild is tough, and death is ugly. There is nothing natural about them living in a sanctuary.
Hilarious. There is nothing natural about horses outside in a field lolling all day? Is this some weird joke?
Some say that the salaries paid to the leaders of the Central Park Conservancy are unconscionable. Why does the Conservancy not take a more forthright stand against E-vehicles on paths in the park?
Leave these poor horses alone. Stop making money of them. This is not why GOD created them. Are you going to wait for someone to get killed then put the horse down. How evil and greedy has humans become. Shameful. Pure greed!!!
ANOTHER one?! I think that makes three in just over a month! When is enough enough?! When do we get rid of this archaic and harmful practice? The drivers have been promised to be “first hired” for whatever replaces the horse and carriage trade, so it is simply a lie that they will be out of work (a lie the union is only too happy to repeat over and over). And something WILL replace it (electric antique cars, motorized rickshaws, or something else).
End the horse and carriage trade NOW!!!
The horse’s behavior has nothing to do with carriage rides. It could have been having a medical episode. That horses occasionally panicked or ran wild did not stop anyone from having them pull carriages before automobiles came. It’s like saying if one chauffeur goes mad and drives like crazy, no one can ever have a chauffeur, and we have to have self-driving cars only.
Hey, did anyone tell you it’s 2025 yet? It’s not 1925 or 1825. Automobiles came in the 19th century. It’s the 21st century. I’m not sure what century you’re living in, but it doesn’t seem to be this one.