We are applauding Mayor Eric Adam’s for signing an executive order Wednesday to crack down on the barbaric carriage industry and to press City Hall to do its job and wind down the decades-old “tradition” by the end of 2026, according to the New York Post.

Friends of Animals has pressed to abolish, not regulate the carriage horse trade, for more than four decades. 

“While many talk about change, our administration has always been about real, meaningful action — and this issue is no different. That’s why today, I’m calling on the City Council to do what they should have done long ago: end the horse carriage industry in New York City and help keep all New Yorkers — including our animals — safe,” said Mayor Adams in a press release. 

Adams called on the New York City Council to pass Ryder’s Law, legislation to phase out horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric alternatives, which has languished in the Council for over a year. Additionally, Adams signed Executive Order 56 to prepare for the end of the horse carriage industry in New York, strengthen oversight and enforcement over the industry until the Council passes the bill, create a process for voluntary return of licenses and identify new employment opportunities for those in this industry.

Finally, Adams sent a letter of necessity to the City Council, which grants the Council the authority to expedite the passage of this legislation by waiving the aging period, and urges them to promptly pass comprehensive reform given safety concerns for everyday New Yorkers.

“A series of incidents over the last few years have raised concerns about the welfare of the horses, as well as the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and carriage operators themselves. To understand all points of view on this complex issue, our administration convened all stakeholders, from driver representatives to community advocates, and it has become abundantly clear that these horse-drawn carriages no longer work for our city,” Adams said.

Here are just some of the troubling incidents that underscore the need to put the nail in the coffin of the industry once and for all:

•In August 2022, a carriage horse named Ryder fell and collapsed at the intersection of West 45th Street and 9th Avenue. The New York City Police Department intervened to help Ryder get back on his feet, and Ryder later died that October.

•In response, advocates asked the City Council to pass Ryder’s Law, legislation to phase out horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric alternatives.

•Following this incident in 2022, 71 percent of New Yorkers supported a ban on horse carriage rides.

•Just last month, another carriage horse named Lady collapsed and died at West 51st Street and 11th Avenue, bringing proposals for reform or closure of the carriage industry back into the spotlight.

•This month also marked the third time this year alone where a carriage horse took off running in Central Park when a horse named Bambi ran out with no person at the reins, frightening visitors and causing three horse carriage passengers to jump out of the speeding buggy. Earlier this year, in May, a similar incident occurred when a pair of runaway carriage horses broke a driver’s wrist and injured others in Central Park after they bolted.