PETA Statement: Mayoral Candidates Agree: Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages

For Immediate Release:
September 19, 2025

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Below, please find a statement from PETA Director Ashley Byrne in response to the four leading New York City mayoral candidatesofficially calling for an end to the city’s horse-drawn carriage industry:

New York City’s four leading mayoral candidates disagree on plenty, but they’re all in agreement with the vast majority of New Yorkers who want beleaguered horses off city streets. PETA is calling on Speaker Adrienne Adams and the City Council to read the room, pass Ryder’s Law, and finally stop carriage operators from forcing skittish horses to pound the pavement until they collapse.

Ryder’s Law, the city’s proposed horse-drawn carriage ban, was named after a horse who collapsed on New York City streets and later died. The proposal came after video footage of Ryder lying on Ninth Avenue went viral, and reports that his driver slapped him, whipped him, and screamed at him to get up sparked outrage.

Note: PETA opposes all forms of animal exploitation and educates the public on those issues. PETA does not directly or indirectly participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office or any political party.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.