Poll Shows Strong Support for Keeping Carriage Horses in Central Park
| Intro | | | Giving Back | | | Horse Care | | | What Vets Say | | | Union Support |
See the full Questions and Answers here.Voters say Keep Horses in Central Park A new poll of NYC voters shows strong support for continuing horse-carriage rides in Central Park - with 70% of those surveyed saying the horses “add beauty and charm” to the park. Slingshot Strategies conducted a survey of 738 New Yorkers who visit Central Park at least once a month. The Transport Workers Union commissioned the poll. The results include:
“The poll results show the Central Park Conservancy in its ivory tower is completely out of touch and is denigrating the park’s history and its uniqueness by supporting a carriage-horse ban. New Yorkers who use the park appreciate the horses and overwhelmingly want them to stay. Conservancy President Betsy Smith and Conservancy mouthpiece Dave Saltonstall should listen to them and not a handful of billionaire donors scheming to destroy our historic business.” The poll was conducted from September 29 to October 5, 2025. The poll comes one month after an AMNY online survey where 77% of respondents said horse carriages should not be banned, while just 23% said they should. Critics trying to ban carriage horses have spent millions of dollars on a hateful campaign that falsely depicts carriage drivers as animal abusers. They cherry-pick incidents and spin them in the most negative way to create controversy and demonize these blue-collar workers, many of whom are immigrants who left their homelands in pursuit of the American dream. “NYCLASS, which was founded by real estate developers, has led this deceitful charge,” Samuelsen said. “Developers want to eliminate the horse carriages to free up their valuable West Side stables for development. This fight isn’t about animal welfare. It’s about real estate, big money, and greed.” TWU's letter to the City Council Dear Council member Many people, influenced by a constant stream of hateful social media posts from NYCLASS, believe that the Central Park carriage drivers abuse and neglect their horses. The truth, however, is that equine medical experts have continually attested that the horses are treated humanely. Bad-faith critics, for example, shared photos of this horse (photo right) shortly after his arrival in Central Park as evidence of abuse by carriage drivers. He was purchased in Amish country and did arrive in NYC in poor condition.But he received a routine of light exercise with occasional carriage rides, extra feeding, medical attention, and a comfortable stall in a stable staffed 24 hours a day, which is very rare for a stable anywhere in America. As shown in the second photo (bottom right), he has thrived. This is not an uncommon transformation. Another example, is Lady, a 15-year-old carriage horse who collapsed and died while walking from Central Park to her stable in August. Bad-faith critics quickly posted disturbing photos and claimed Lady was worked to death, a victim of abuse and neglect. Councilman Holden was one of the loudest voices pushing this narrative. Lady’s death was tragic and upsetting for all animal lovers, including those who knew her firsthand—but it was not due to abuse. A necropsy by Cornell University found that the cause of death was an aortic rupture, likely caused by a tiny tumor. Essentially, it was like a seemingly healthy 45-year-old person collapsing and dying from an aneurysm or a massive heart attack. Imagine someone taking a photo of that person on the street and immediately clai ming they were abused or neglected. This is what carriage drivers have been dealing with for many years. It’s wrong. It won’t stop, but it can be seen for what it is: hateful propaganda.
Let’s be clear. NYCLASS, Mayor Adams, and Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro all are accusing real peo-ple of being animal-abusing criminals. Look at the photos below. Do they look like the faces of animal abusers? These are fellow New Yorkers, many of them immigrants who have made NYC their home and are raising families here. They don’t deserve these hateful attacks. Sincerely, John Chiarello, President, TWU Local 100 |
“There is resounding public support for keeping the carriage horses in Central Park,” Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen said. “This poll sends a clear message that New Yorkers aren’t buying the politicized anti-horse rhetoric. The carriage horses are part of the soul of Central Park — a living, breathing tradition that brings beauty, history, and heart to this city. People don’t want that erased. They want it protected.”
The carriage-drivers overwhelmingly are hardworking blue-collar immigrants being targeted and demonized by a well-funded campaign.