The history of horse-drawn carriages is almost as old as New York City itself. The Dutch first brought horses to our shores in 1625 to carry heavy loads and operate sawmills. The British imported them for racing. And New Yorkers regularly saddled up for journeys around town until the 1910s, when cars and trucks diminished our dependence on these majestic animals.

These days, however, their presence in Central Park remains more iconic than essential, a feature of nostalgia in place of utility. Though this practice once belonged out of necessity, horse-drawn carriages simply no longer work for our city, as they are both dangerous and increasingly incompatible with the conditions of a modern, heavily-used urban green space like Central Park.

A series of incidents raised several concerns, such as horses posing a danger to Central Park visitors, collapsing on our streets, and the ethics of this industry overall. Last month, a horse ran out with no person at the reins, causing three horse carriage passengers to jump out of the speeding buggy. Earlier this year, a pair of runaway carriage horses broke a driver’s wrist and injured others after they bolted. In the past few years, the images of Ryder and Lady, two horses who collapsed on our........

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