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NYC's horse carriage industry facing potential extinction with Thursday Council vote
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 11:48 a.m. ET
Modified Oct 22, 2026 at 1:39 p.m. ET
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Andrew Burton/Getty Images
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 11:48 a.m. ET
Modified Oct 22, 2026 at 1:39 p.m. ET
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Lawmakers are expected to pass legislation Thursday that would shut down New York City’s horse carriage industry after more than 160 years in operation.
Romanch’s Law, named after a teen tourist who died this summer after he fell from a runaway carriage horse ride in Central Park, would phase out such rides June 2028. The bill would mandate that the horses’ next chapters be humane, barring owners from selling or transferring them for the purpose of slaughter or for use in other horse-drawn cab business.
It would also require the mayor to establish a transition plan for the industry's workers by April of next year, including by providing career counseling, civil service training and referrals to other employment opportunities, Council Speaker Julie Menin said at a press conference Thursday.
“It even allows horse owners to keep their horses if they so choose,” Menin said. “It's going to support the transition for the more than 150 active horse carriage drivers because we want to make sure that they are protected. We will help find them new jobs over the next two years.”
The bill, which has 29 co-sponsors on the 51-member Council, is poised to pass. Menin announced that the bill was scheduled for a vote earlier this month, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani agreed to sign the bill into law.
Animal rights advocates have been calling for the city to ban carriage horses for years, with renewed calls whenever a carriage horse collapsed at the park or on a Manhattan street. The issue was central to Bill de Blasio’s 2013 mayoral campaign after he vowed to shutter the industry his first week in office, but wasn't able to during his eight-year tenure.
In June, the movement regained momentum after a spooked carriage horse ran away from its driver, smashing into another horse-drawn carriage and killing 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan.
“ When Romanch Mahajan was taken from his family, from our city, from the world, it was a turning point. And Romanch's death was one death too many, and the law that we are going to pass in his name will prevent the next one,” Menin said at a press conference ahead of the vote on Thursday.
The city’s horse carriage drivers have long argued the horses are well cared for and safe. After the plans to pass the law were announced, drivers told Gothamist they feel betrayed and say they’re being unfairly forced out of business.
This story has been updated with more information.
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Catalina Gonella
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