Author: Chantelle Archambault

Horse carriages have been banned in New York City!

On October 22, 2026, New York City voted to end the use of horse-drawn carriages. The City Council passed Romanch’s Law, which bans horse-drawn carriage rides which have been operating in and around Central Park. Mayor Mamdani has 30 days to sign the law, veto it, or let it pass without action.

Under the new law, horse-drawn carriage rides will cease operations in June 2028.

The law considers a safe and fair transition for horses and drivers

Dozens of rescues, sanctuaries, and nonprofit organizations have offered to support a safe and free retirement for the horses currently used for carriage rides in the city. The legislation passed by the City Council and state law both prohibit the horses from being sold for slaughter.

The legislation also requires the City to develop a plan by next April to support horse carriage drivers and others in the industry to find alternative jobs, including referrals, career counselling, and educational opportunities.

The ban follows years of harm and recent tragic incidents

Horses pulling carriages through busy city streets face routine stress and serious risks. They work in traffic, on hard pavement, and in summer heat, conditions that put enormous strain on their bodies.

As sensitive, social animals, horses are not suited to the noise and unpredictability of a modern city. When they become frightened and bolt, both horses and people are in danger.

That reality was made painfully clear in New York City this past June. An 18-year-old tourist lost his life after falling from a carriage when a horse bolted. What should have been a relaxing family vacation ended in tragedy when he hit his head trying to help his fallen mother.

The incident led to renewed calls for change, with advocates pointing to back-to-back incidents involving the safety of horses and the public; just the previous week, a carriage horse collapsed and died near Central Park.

Advocates continue to call for an end to horse carriage rides in other cities

The harms and risks involved with horse carriages are not unique to one city. Incidents in Vancouver’s Stanley Park in 2016 and in Victoria in 2018, 2023, and 2024 have shown that the same dangers exist here at home. In Vancouver, horse-drawn carriage rides continue to operate at events in busy, high-traffic commercial districts, such as Kerrisdale and Commercial Drive, which can lead to further stress and fear for horses.

The Vancouver Humane Society and other local advocates continue to call for a ban on horse-drawn carriage rides on Vancouver’s streets. You can help by signing the quick action and encouraging friends and family to choose horse-free tourism options, or by sharing the VHS’s posts about this important issue on Facebook and Instagram.

Progress for animals often moves slowly. This can be disheartening. As an animal ally, it can feel as though others don’t care enough to make change. But how much is that feeling based in reality?

When asked about animal issues, most Canadians express care and concern. Most people with companion animals consider those animals to be part of the family. Canadians are also largely opposed to activities that pose animal welfare concerns, such as trophy hunting (83% opposed), killing animals for their fur (78% opposed), rodeos (65% opposed), and zoos and aquariums (58% opposed).

Animal welfare is typically a bipartisan issue in Canada, resonating with people regardless of which political party they vote for. Still, animal welfare alone is rarely a motivator for change from decision-makers.

What happens when animal allies unite with other changemakers?

A recent election in Denmark answered that question, as advocates for animal welfare, the environment, and residents made pig farming a major election issue through two years of focused campaigning.

Citizens used their votes to show they care about the animal welfare, land use, environmental, and human impacts of pig farming, a main industry in Denmark.

Collaboration with other sectors has helped make progress for animals in Canada.

Animal advocates in Canada have teamed up with advocates on other issues and highlighted the overlap between the health of animals, humans, and our shared environment.

Here in British Columbia, a permanent ban on the farming of mink for fur was announced in 2021 due to public health risks.

In 2023, a phase-out of toxicity testing on animals was included in an update to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

The Protecting Victims Act passed this summer, criminalizing the distribution of animal sexual abuse material while recognizing harm and threats against animals as part of coercive control and criminal harassment.

Collaboration paints a promising path forward.

These stories paint a promising path forward in animal advocacy; one where collaboration with other advocates and intersections with other important issues create real opportunities for meaningful change.

Animal advocates around the world are celebrating a step forward as Tripadvisor has strengthened their animal welfare policy! The new policy evaluates activities involving animals “informed by the Five Domains of Animal Welfare, a globally recognised framework that assesses an animal’s quality of life”:

The new policy “does not enable booking for experiences that involve animal racing, such as most dog, horse and camel racing or for rodeo-style events”. It also forbids sales of tickets for attractions including elephant riding and those involving captive whales and dolphins.

This important step forward involves a major company acknowledging that many animal entertainment events cause unnecessary risk and stress to animals. It also helps travellers to make more compassionate choices about the events and attractions they attend.

To learn more about choosing compassionate events and attractions, check out the VHS’s podcast episode on An animal-friendly summer break with Erin Ryan.

Cover photo: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals Media.