Video of runaway carriage horses in Central Park sparks renewed calls to shut down industry

CBS News

27-05-2025

There are renewed calls to shut down New York City's horse carriage industry after two horses were caught on video running loose in Central Park on Memorial Day.
Supporters, however, argue there's a simple fix to stopping such incidents.
Carriage driver injured trying to catch runaway horse
Video taken Monday afternoon shows a runaway horse, named Shadow, pulling its carriage in Central Park without its driver, followed by a second runaway horse and carriage with a man chasing after it.
The union that represents carriage horse drivers said Shadow's headpiece came off while he was eating. His driver, a 40-year industry veteran, attempted to put it back on, but the horse, which was new to the park, got away. A second driver ran to help, and that driver's horse followed Shadow, the union says. The second driver broke his wrist catching his horse and needed surgery.
Video taken on May 26, 2025, shows a runaway horse, named Shadow, pulling its carriage in Central Park without its driver, followed by another runaway horse and carriage with a man chasing after it.
NYCLASS
Daouda Dapsota and Abdoul Aziz Gassambe were among the pedicab drivers parked near the Fifth Avenue entrance of the park who saw Shadow get loose.
"It was crazy. A lot of people were screaming. People that were scared for their lives," Dapsota said.
"When they were running, the driver followed him, tried to grab him, but he knocked the driver down," Gassambe said. "The driver fell down ... and then the horse keep going."
Another pedicab driver who didn't want to be identified could be seen in another video escorting Shadow. He said he got hurt trying to stop the horse.
"It was a crazy day for me because it was the second accident that almost happened to me, because a week ago, I also stopped the other horse who also run away," he said.
The union said in that incident, which happened on May 18, the horse's bridle also came off while it was eating.
Animal rights advocates call for end to NYC's horse carriage industry
There's pending legislation to phase out the horse carriage industry in New York City. It's backed by the animal rights organization NYCLASS.
"These kinds of terrifying, dangerous incidents will keep happening because horses are nervous prey animals. When they run, they run out of control," NYCLASS Executive Director Edita Birnkrant said.
Long-time horse carriage driver Adrian Marrs argues the city can avoid these situations by adding posts so they can tether idle horses in place.
"We would like to have more tie posts, and it would make -- obviously, it's a no-brainer -- it would make things a lot safer for the horses and the drivers and everybody," Marrs said.
In a statement, the union said, in part, "Horses have been in Central Park for more than 160 years and are part of its history and charm. We're committed to safety and, again, urge the city to install hitching posts for our beautiful and iconic Central Park horses."
The union said the horses were not hurt but were evaluated by a vet per its protocol.
A City Hall spokesperson said in a statement, "Mayor Adams and our entire administration work every single day to keep New Yorkers safe. This incident is deeply concerning, and we are looking into it. We will review any proposed legislation."