Is NYC Banning Horse-Drawn Carriages?

In a highly publicized video posted on September 17th, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced his support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages following four incidents in which spooked horses bolted in Central Park, injuring several pedestrians and forcing others to leap out of the way to avoid being trampled. His announcement came six weeks after the Central Park Conservancy, which operates the park, made a public statement calling for the removal of horse-drawn carriages from Central Park.

Many members of the public who heard Adams’ announcement misunderstood it. Because he said, “We have started taking steps to ban the horse-carriage industry,” they thought his office would be shutting it down. The executive branch, however, does not have the authority to do so; only the legislature does. That is why, in his announcement, Mayor Adams called on NYC Council Members to support Ryder’s Law, legislation that would prohibit the operation of horse-drawn carriages.

New Yorkers, here’s what I want you to know about the announcement we made today calling on the @NYCCouncil to ban horse-drawn carriages in Central Park: pic.twitter.com/p68qjA1Od8

— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) September 17, 2025

In his announcement and in a subsequent executive order, Mayor Adams also stated that he would enforce the laws routinely broken by carriage drivers and offer horse-drawn carriage drivers incentives to leave the business voluntarily. His first deputy Mayor, Randy Mastro, wrote in an op-ed in the Daily News, “we have offered to find alternative city employment for the drivers that assures them higher wages” and “have offered to compensate owners for the value of their licenses.”

Prior to Mayor Adams’ announcement, 20 NYC Council Members had already signed onto Ryder’s Law. NYCLASS, the animal advocacy organization leading the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages, hoped that his announcement would compel additional lawmakers to sign onto the bill. So far, no one has. In order for the bill to pass, at least six more City Council members would have to support the bill. In addition, the Speaker of the City Council, Adrienne Adams, would have to allow a public hearing and a vote on the bill. For the past three years, Speaker Adams has blocked Ryder’s Law behind the scenes while telling reporters that she’s allowing the legislative process to “run its course.”

Many of the City Council members who have not signed onto Ryder’s Law have privately cited fear of retaliation by industry lobbyist John Samuelsen as the reason why. As President of the Transport Workers Union, which makes endorsements, Samuelsen wields far more influence than outgoing Mayor Adams, who has no leverage over city lawmakers. In addition to aggressively lobbying City Council members to oppose Ryder’s Law, Samuelsen is spending $1 million on advertisements attacking those who have already signed onto Ryder’s Law and other stakeholders calling for a ban.

As a lobbyist and spokesperson for the horse-drawn carriage trade, Samuelsen has led Council Members, the media and the public to believe that the carriage drivers and others who work in the business are dues-paying union members. When pressed, however, Samuelsen has admitted that the workers have neither a union contract nor a collective bargaining agreement. In addition, the workers have no protections or benefits and are not eligible for disability, Workers Compensation, unemployment or Social Security.

Horse-drawn carriage lobbyist John Samuelsen, who is president of the Transport Workers Union, is taking out attack ads on NYC Council Members who support Ryder’s Law, the bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages.

In addition to Council Members, Samuelsen is attacking the Central Park Conservancy over its call to remove carriages from the park. Instead of attempting to address the Conservancy’s concerns – that the carriages pose a safety hazard, damage the roadways and contaminate the the streets with manure – Samuelsen is accusing its leaders of being “corporate aristocrats” who are “desecrating the park’s storied history.”

TWU President John Samuelsen launched a $1M campaign attacking NYC Mayor Eric Adams over his support for a ban on horse-drawn carriages

As part of his $1M campaign against supporters of Ryder’s Law, Samuelsen has also launched a public relations campaign attacking Mayor Adams as an “untrustworthy backstabbing rat.” Now that Adams has dropped out of the Mayoral race, however, this campaign could potentially backfire, as he nothing to lose by advocating for a ban. Instead of silencing him, the attack ads might embolden him to double down on his effort to ban the industry. If he succeeds, the Mayor will not only have improved his legacy, but he will also have won the war waged against him by Samuelsen.

“It’s outrageous that John Samuelsen & TWU⁩ are blowing $1 million in workers’ hard-earned dues to attack the mayor for standing up against animal abuse.

When is the last time TWU spent $1 million making buses & subways safer for their own members?” https://t.co/Oxu9cdFnFV

— NYCLASS (@nyclass) September 25, 2025

Samuelsen is also attacking NYCLASS, claiming that its founder Steve Nislick is motivated to shut down the industry by his desire to buy the stables and replace them with skyscrapers. While untrue, Samuelsen is taking out ads to amplify the “real estate land grab” narrative because it served the horse-drawn carriage industry well in 2014 when then Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted to ban it. At the time, the Teamsters Union, which served as the industry’s lobbyist until 2016, spread the same lie, and New York’s three major newspapers ran with it. Despite the fact that the papers offered no proof of the accusation, the public believed the “big, bad real estate developer” narrative and sided with the horse-drawn carriage industry. Eleven years later, public support for a ban has increased, driven in part by the high profile horse deaths and accidents caught on camera. According to the latest poll, 71% of New Yorkers support a ban.

John Samuelsen, the TWU President who is serving as the lobbyist for NYC’s horse-drawn carriage trade, has falsely accused NYCLASS founder Steve Nislick of attempting to ban horse-drawn carriages in order to develop the lots where the stables are located

While Mayor Adams has dropped out of the race, his three former opponents – Curtis Sliwa (R), Zohran Mamdani (D) and Andrew Cuomo (I) – have publicly stated that they support too a ban on horse-drawn carriages in NYC. Their support, however, does not appear to be moving the City’s lawmakers.

During his last few months in office, Mayor Adams is expected to use the power of his office to advance a ban. NYCLASS, which has led the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages for almost 20 years, is hopeful but not taking any chances. Its Executive Director Edita Birnkrant told supporters during a recent rally that the organization will continue to lobby City Council members in support of Ryder’s Law; hold Speaker Adams accountable for blocking it; combat the false narratives in the media; educate and mobilize the public; and document the horse-drawn carriage accidents and horse collapses.

The death of Spotty, a horse who spooked and crashed on Ninth Ave in 2005, led to the formation of the Coalition to Ban Horse-drawn Carriages. In 2006, NYCLASS joined the fight and has been leading the effort for almost 20 years.