After petting a carriage horse in New York's Central Park at the age of five, Alexus Lawson was hooked. She has driven a carriage in Manhattan's most famous park, pulled by her horse, for six years. But since Lawson heard about the city's vote this week to outlaw the carriages over animal and public-safety concerns, she has been worried.
"What am I supposed to do with my horse?" asked the 28-year-old, who has been driving in the park for six years. "You're going to tell me I can't work with her anymore? How am I supposed to ensure her health?" Lawson is one of roughly 200 horse-drawn carriage drivers in Central Park.
Use of the carriages has been an at-times controversial tradition for over 160 years that has become a popular tourist activity. On Thursday, New York City Council is expected to vote to pass a ban on the carriages that would start in June 2028. The proposal is backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who says he will help develop a transition plan for workers in the industry.
But several drivers who spoke to the BBC said they did not want new jobs, and disputed claims their horses are mistreated - even as many New Yorkers and tourists welcomed the ban. Horse-drawn carriages in New York City expected to be outlawed "There were a few cases of horses dying in the middle of the park. You can clearly see that they're not taken care of," said New York resident Ron Tsur.
"That's not what they're supposed to be doing." Since 1982, 40 horses working in Central Park have died, according to the Manhattan Borough President's office, which blames issues including overheating and collisions. New York leaders previously sought a ban, under pressure from animal-rights activists, but faced pushback from city council members and unions representing the workers. But the ban movement found new momentum this summer after the death of a teenager.
In June, Romanch Mahajan, a tourist visiting New York with his family from India, was in a carriage when the horse bolted, causing the 18-year-old to fall out and die. The planned ban - named Romanch's Law after the teen - also follows the death this year of a carriage horse, Deniz, who ate a toxic plant in Central Park. Several Central Park horse carriage drivers who spoke to the BBC said they were devoted to their horses and that the rides did not pose a safety risk.
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