‘A disgrace that this is still happening’: New Yorkers ‘traumatized’ as Central Park carriage horse collapses and dies, calls for ban intensify

Central Park’s horse carriages have long been divisive, with opinion split between them being part of the fabric of Manhattan life and those who argue the animals are overworked and mistreated. In November, the city council voted “no” on “Ryder’s Law”, a proposed city law that would have phased out horse carriages.

That was named for the horse Ryder, who tragically collapsed and died while pulling a carriage on a roasting August day in 2022. Now history may have repeated itself.

The New York Post is reporting that on Tuesday at around 7:30 pm, a carriage horse collapsed in Central Park – in the vicinity of West Drive and 72nd Street – as horrified parkgoers looked on.

Edita Birnkrant, the Executive Director of the nonprofit New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, said witnesses observed the horse fall to the ground, begin thrashing on the floor, and with its tongue dangling from its mouth. Reports say it died “roughly 10 minutes after it collapsed” and it’s unclear what the cause of death was.

Statement from Council Member @ChrisMarteNYC and Voters For Animal Rights President Julie Cappiello:

“This Thursday, Council Member Marte will introduce Ryder’s Law, legislation to transition New York City away from horse-drawn carriages and toward a safer, more humane future.… pic.twitter.com/1r1Hw0ISbF

— Voters For Animal Rights (@theanimalvoters) June 10, 2026

According to the Post and visible in footage posted online, parkgoers gathered around the carcass and “hugged each other”, with Birnkrant explaining: “That horse, without a doubt, had an agonizing death right in front of everyone. People will never forget seeing that happen.”

She continued: “Every few months there’s a horrific incident … We can’t have this happening in the park, whether it’s horses dropping dead or being worked while sick or injured, or running wild.”

“People will never forget seeing that happen.”

For those who support the Central Park horse carriages, this couldn’t be worse timing. The death comes less than a day before a rally outside city hall where animal advocates will protest the practise and urge elected officials to support Ryder’s Law.

Birnkrant also put pressure on New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, saying:

“This is a disgrace that this is still happening, that we are letting the city council, the mayor, is letting these horses be worked to death. Horses can collapse at any moment, they can spook at any moment. We can’t have them maneuvering through Manhattan, Midtown traffic day and night through the increasingly congested and busy park. This is enough.”

Mamdani is likely to be receptive to her plea. He openly supports a ban, describing the carriages in 2025 as “inhumane and unnecessary” and vowing to “support legislation and efforts to shut it down”. As per Gothamist, Mamdani intends to visit the stables and to have an “independent panel” of veterinary and medical experts assess the horses.

As for the dead horse? The New York Post says they’ve seen video of it lying in the road while a man presumed to be its handler makes a phone call.