Mayor Eric Adams has thrown his support behind a long-debated proposal to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, calling on the City Council to pass Ryder’s Law and announcing a new executive order to tighten oversight of the controversial industry.
The announcement marks a significant shift in the years-long battle over the future of the carriage trade — and comes just weeks after Lady, a 15-year-old carriage horse, collapsed and died on 11th Avenue while returning to her Hell’s Kitchen stable. The incident echoed the highly publicized 2022 collapse of Ryder on W45th Street and 9th Avenue, whose death sparked both outrage and a failed criminal case against his driver, Ian McKeever.
In a press release this afternoon (Wednesday), Adams urged the Council to “end the horse carriage industry in New York City and help keep all New Yorkers — including our animals — safe.” He signed Executive Order 56, which directs city agencies to step up enforcement of carriage regulations, create a process for voluntary license returns, and prepare workforce retraining for drivers and stable staff…