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Update (July 15, 2026): New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman held a historic hearing on Intro 943—Romanch's Law, named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan, who was tragically killed after falling from a runaway horse-drawn carriage in Central Park while trying to save his mother. Testimony in favor of a ban came from PETA Honorary Director Edie Falco, the Mahajan family, veterinarians, animal protection organizations, and hundreds of compassionate New Yorkers. With a majority of cosponsors, the next step is a full City Council vote!
New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry is killing horses—and humans. On June 8, a 16-year-old horse named Deniz dropped dead after being forced to pull a carriage through Central Park. He struggled in agony on the pavement for ten minutes without medical attention while traumatized onlookers watched helplessly.
Deniz is far from the first victim. In 2022, an emaciated horse named Ryder collapsed on Ninth Avenue, likely from illness and heat exhaustion. He lay there for over an hour—without veterinary care—while his driver slapped him, whipped him, and screamed at him to get up. Ryder died malnourished, sick, and elderly—his owner had lied about his age. His driver was charged with overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals but was acquitted despite video evidence. In 2025, a horse named Lady collapsed and died pulling a carriage in Midtown Manhattan. Another, Michelle—emaciated and covered in sores—was forced to haul tourists in sweltering heat even after residents reported her condition.
These are not isolated incidents—they're the inevitable result of an industry that treats living individuals as machines. The city lacks the will to enforce regulations, and carriage operators fight and flout every rule. A ban is the only real solution.
Horses don't exist to haul strangers through traffic. They are sensitive, social individuals who deserve to live on their own terms. PETA has joined NYCLASS and other local advocates to demand the city end this exploitation, but these horses can wait no longer.
Please urge New York City Council Members to support the quick passage of Romanch's Law, which would ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City.