After generations in Central Park, horse-drawn carriages face a ban

By Maria Tsvetkova and Dan Fastenberg NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) To observers, the horse-drawn carriages driven by coachmen in black top hats, ferrying passengers through Central Park and nearby Manhattan streets, can seem like relics from another time. They soon may be. The carriages have rolled through Central Park since the 1800s but more recently have been condemned by animal rights activists, who say the horses are subjected to inhumane and ​unsafe conditions. On Thursday, New York City lawmakers are set to vote on a bill that would ban the carriages beginning June 1, 2028. While attempts ‌over the last decade to shut down the industry have failed, a majority of City Council members have co-sponsored the current bill, which has the support of Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The horse industry is coming to an end, he said earlier this month. Carriages have traversed Central Park since a 6-mile loop was designed for horse rides in the 1800s. By the mid-20th century, the city had limited h