Riding in a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park is a dream for many tourists who visit New York City. The experience has been immortalized through various television shows and movies, and a stroll through the park can be a nice, nostalgic trip back to a bygone era.
Passengers in a carriage recently got more than they signed up for when a scared horse broke free of its reigns. The horse proceeded to stampede through the park for several blocks before coming to a stop, scaring bystanders and others who attempted to move out of its way.
The recent incident could also further calls to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City, as some advocates believe they’re doing more harm than good in the city.
What Happened In Central Park?
On Monday, a horse carrying two passengers and a driver in Central Park was startled and began to run wild. One of the passengers inside the carriage jumped out, while the other was reportedly thrown from the vehicle according to an eyewitness on TikTok.
The person filming the video says the horse ran “haywire” through the park.
Animal advocacy group NYCLASS added that the carriage driver was thrown across the road when he tried to stop the horse, and that the horse’s excursion ended after around five blocks, when it crashed into another parked carriage.
“It’s unpredictable – he could have trampled in any direction,” a witness said, according to the New York Post.
“Luckily, the horse knew the path of the loop – but there are all these people around, all these tourists, that … don’t have instincts to back up when something happens like that.”
Efforts to Protect Horses and Citizens
There have been multiple accidents involving horse-drawn carriages in the park recently, and some groups are calling for a city-wide ban.
“Today’s incident only underscores our concern about the dangers posed by horses in the increasingly crowded Park,” said the Central Park Conservatory.
NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant noted that there have been at least four incidents involving a loose carriage in the park this summer alone.
“Today’s violent runaway horse crash in Central Park makes it crystal clear: no one is able to protect the horses or the public from abuse, danger, injury or death as long as horse-drawn carriages continue to operate,” Birnkrant added.
PETA has spoken out against the treatment of these horses, placing a billboard in Manhattan urging citizens to stop riding horses. The billboard shows a graphic image of a horse that died last month after collapsing in the street.
“Another horse dead. Please don’t ride,” the billboard reads.
We’ll see if New York residents and tourists follow that directive, and if any more dangerous situations arise between humans and horses in Central Park and New York City.
