Text by Stephen Harmon and Carol Tannenhauser. Photographs by Stephen Harmon
I have loved photographing the horses and their carriages and their drivers with their top hats.
When I started, I did not view them as political, rather as one of NYC’s most enduring visual icons.
Over the decades that changed as groups and individuals grew increasingly intent on banning the horse-drawn carriages from the city, opposed by the Transport Workers Union International, “which advocates for hundreds of carriage drivers who make a living shuttling tourists on buggies around the park,” Politico said. “The first serious effort to outlaw the city’s carriage industry came in 2010,” during the Bloomberg administration. Mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams also tried to ban the horse-drawn carriages, but failed.
Now, Mayor Zohran Mamdani appears to have succeeded, announcing on Tuesday that “he will back a bill that would make it illegal to operate a horse-drawn carriage in the city, starting in June 2028,” Politico first reported. It is called “Romanch’s Law,” after the 18-year-old Indian tourist who was killed in a tragic horse-and-carriage accident this past summer.
With the mayor’s support, Council Speaker Julie Menin has scheduled a full Council vote on the bill for Oct. 22. “The legislation has already secured formal support from more than half of the Council’s 51 members, meaning it’s on a glidepath to becoming law,” Politico said.
I’m glad to share these soon-to-be historic photos.
Steve
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What a shame The carriages are a part of the city. I bet if they did a study there were more accidents than carriage accidents why don’t they get rid of them instead of the horses. It is impossible to cross a street in Ny with out taking your life in your hands. It is much safer to take a carriage ride.
The horses deserve a better life. Apparently you haven’t seen how they are out there in 90 degree weather pulling heavy new Yorkers or tourist who think its ok. Lets give them a resting place in a sanctuary.
Banning horse-drawn carriages from NYC for the dangers they present is exactly like banning cars (or bicycles) because they can kill people—insane. I will miss contact with horses, our work and civilizing companions, in NYC.
Its sad that so many people think it’s ok to allow these horses to continue to be mistreated. NY has alot of beauty try going to a horse ranch there you can see them in all their splendor.
Or like forbidding people to own dogs because there are some dogs bite people and some people don’t take good care of their dogs. I think this is a tragedy for the city. It’s the bikes that terrify me.
I’m not sure what you mean by “contact with the horses. I’ve lived in New York City for over 40 years and never once had contact with horses in Central Park ! They have blinders on are not in good moods, which horses are in other environments and they have the men in charge of them who are usually grumpy and only out to make money! I seen this for my entire time in New York city so I’m not sure what you are talking about-I have had contact with horses in other environments where the horses are treated better and more in their habitat which is not 57th St.!
1 death in 160 years. E-bikes have killed more people in Central Park that that.
Doesn’t mean it’s ok to continue to torture these horses. The people on E bikes decided to ride it. The horses had no choice.
June 2028 is WAY too long but finally some progress!! Mayor Mamdani succeeds after 16 years of previous mayors failures. Like I said, he keeps racking up the wins!
The mayor did it because it’s easier than addressing a real problem – out-of-control bikes. They pose a real danger.
Now do e-bikes!
Does anyone remember the beautiful old Currier and Ives pronts— New York City when horse-drawn carriages decorated every scene? Sigh. How l will miss them! Now all is turning robotic and we humans are ourselves becoming more and more like machines. Very sad…
These are beautiful. Thanks for sharing
The death of 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan was heartbreaking. His family deserves compassion, and the City must investigate thoroughly and address any safety deficiencies. But one tragedy does not, by itself, justify abolishing an entire industry.
Since the carriage controversy began, New Yorkers have witnessed other serious and fatal transportation incidents, including an e-bike striking a woman in Central Park, a cyclist collision that killed father of two Richard O’Brien, and several fatal crashes involving bicycles, e-bikes, and motor vehicles.
Each death deserves investigation and prevention measures. The City Council has considered 23 proposals addressing micromobility safety. Why shouldn’t horse-drawn carriages receive the same opportunity for meaningful safety reform?
Improve training, equipment, hitching practices, emergency procedures, inspections, and enforcement. If independent review establishes that the risks cannot adequately be addressed, consider that evidence before deciding the industry’s fate.
Animal welfare concerns deserve serious consideration, as do public safety and the livelihoods of working New Yorkers. Preserve what can be preserved by addressing risks responsibly.
Public safety requires consistent, evidence-based decisions: investigate, improve, and enforce—and prohibit only when evidence shows regulation cannot adequately address the risk.
If you decide to get on a horse and carriege ride deal with the consequences. The horses arw scared and mistreated. Im sad for the horse.
I’m fine with this.
I think your pictures are great and in the past, it has been kind of a New
York City image and thing to do, but I do believe right now it’s time to relogate that to the past. There is no way that it is a good environment for horses. It’s dangerous and it’s overpriced… Something from the last century to look back on.
It’s not overpriced when lots of people are willing to pay it. How much do you think it cost to maintain a horse and carriage?
What will happen o the horses? I hope they will find a good home and not be butchered….
Hopefully they will go to a sanctuary.
Pretty sure most of them will be euthanized (it’s not like people can just adopt them and keep them in their home or backyard and there aren’t that many horse shelters). But the animal lovers who’ve been screaming about this for the last 10 years don’t actually give a damn what happens to the horses. If they don’t see the horses, they don’t exist. If I see the same people who’ve been screeching about the carriage horses making active efforts to find homes for the horses. I’ll eat my words. But unfortunately, I doubt I’ll need to.
It’s about time.
Okay, I’m going to say it. I think this is a shame. If it were me I would keep the carriages and enforce regulations to ensure the horses are well cared for. The cyclists are like a million times more dangerous to others– I’d ban ebikes and enforce rules on cyclists.
For what it’s worth, I’m politically on the left and I care a lot about animal rights. But someone I know breeds horses and he said the horses he sees in the park look well cared for, and that this particular kind of horse is bred to work. I have a feeling many of these carriage horses will end up euthanized because no one will have the wherewithal to take care of them if they aren’t aren’t bringing in income.
Beautiful captures!
Sad for us humans but, to be honest, better for the horses. It can’t be a very nice life for them.
Sure, totally understand and somewhat agree. However, where do all these horses go? Listening to some advocates it appears they imagine imaginary farms upstate will open up their paddocks, and these poor creatures will be able to live out their golden years roaming free and be well taken care of until they die from natural causes. I doubt that very much.
If you want to make NY City safer why not ban all CARS! There’s more than 1 death annually from those!
The horses thank you.
As charming as it might be to see these horse-drawn carriages, they are in no way healthy and humane for the horse. They commute more than two miles round trip from their stables in midtown through city traffic which has to be very stressful and unhealthy for them. If they were housed in the park that would at least be an improvement. But the bottom line is that they are not a necessary part of city life and should not be subjected to this stressful life only to serve as quaint and charming entertainment for humans tourists.
While you might find it an iconic NY activity these poor horses are suffering. They are in traffic in the heat and barely get a break. Saying that the owners are making a living doing this is crazy. Let them reinvent themselves like many people have had to do over the years with job loss. Give these poor animals a break and send them to a sanctuary.
You want NY go take pictures of the statue of liberty!!!
If you look at what is really behind the push to ban the horses, it is real estate money that is paying for it. Hudson Yards made the far west side very attractive. A number of stables are in that area. It is a land grab. If memory serves, the Council Speaker’s husband is in the real estate world.
The idea of electric cars put forth by the DiBlasio administration would mean more obstacles on the drive. The horses are well taken care of, it is a very regulated industry. Like someone pointed out – 1 death in 160 years. How many deaths and injuries just this year due to ebikes and off leash dogs?
A good solution to the carnage of late in the park would to reinstitute the ban on ebikes going over 15 miles per hour. A “deliverista”, which must mean “uninsured narcissist”, going the wrong way hit a woman and put her into a coma – as reported on these very pages. I bike the loop on a fairly regular basis and since the lifting of the speed limit it has been the wild west in Central Park. The drive has become an ebike superhighway. Of course it did not help that the Conservancy removed all but 4 of the traffic lights. I have seen more accidents than I have ever seen in the park lately. Not one involves a horse and carriage.
Enforcing other rules like dogs off leashes, speeding ebikes and maybe just common sense things like don’t take a selfie while riding, don’t turn without looking (the pedicabs are the worst offenders) and my favorite – stopping in the middle of the roadway. Also, vehicles of any type – parks department, Conservancy or pedicabs should not stand on the south side of a crosswalk on the east side or north side of a crosswalk on the west side because a cyclists view of the crosswalk is blocked.
Pedestrians walking in the bike lines should be ticketed. I would be rightfully ticketed for biking on a pedestrian path – why should not a pedestrian walking where I am told to be? They put themselves, and more importantly me, in danger.
As someone pointed out, the horses are bred to pull. That is what they do. Taking away their purpose seems cruel unto itself. Adding something along the lines of a larger pedicab in the park seems irresponsible.
100+ years of tradition done for because of a bunch of left wing performance artists in office.