For now, Central Park’s clip-clop chorus has avoided its final curtain call. After weeks of tense politics and emotional testimony, the City Council’s Health Committee voted down Ryder’s Law, the latest attempt to retire New York City’s horse-drawn carriages and replace them with electric alternatives.

The bill, championed by Queens councilmember Robert Holden, aimed to phase out the 167-year-old carriage trade. Holden made the issue his white whale during his final few weeks in office, even trying a procedural maneuver to force a committee vote. That worked—but not in his favor. The committee sank the measure with four no votes, one yes and two abstentions.

Ryder’s Law gets its name from the horse that collapsed on a midtown street in 2022, ultimately becoming a flashpoint for the movem

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