Taking horse drawn carriages out of NYC/Central Park is like taking the Pope Mobile away from the Pope. Sure they really dont need them, but they would be lost and different without them.

It sounds like Avella is just another self-important moron that needs to get a life.

As much as I like the idea of the carriages, once you are in one, all you smell is the horse's ass.

Not on January 28 when the temp is a balmy -20, you smell nothing.

The carriages are an icon and it wouldn't be the same without them but the horses are sometimes not well cared for (though I don't think that's the majority)

OK then, January 28, I'll take you up on that and meet you there to see if you're right. Well, if they're still there I will.

It has to be -20 though, so that our noses are properly frozen. But ok...unless that's a work night it's a 2.5 hour drive one way for me :)

That's a little too cold. Maybe we could park a cab, jump out and take a sniff. OK, forget it. That just sounded really weird.

How about we hit Tavern on the Green and just watch the buggies from the window?

Stop the horses from carrying people.. that's wrong because the horse works on the street.

As my kids to go Central Park Zoo and watch caged animals walk back and forth in small enclosures.

As I keep a dog/cat/fish leashed and indoors in my 10th story penthouse apartment.

As my wife parades around in her fur coat made from the hides of multiple animals either trapped in the wild or bred and killed for their coats.

...

But heaven forbid someone takes care of a horse and has it pull a buggy.

Honestly, if you're gonna fight for 'animal rights' you need to stop being a hipocrite about the whole thing.

Urgh, do I hate these goddamn f**king animal "lovers" who say any animal used is abused.

Okay then, let strip them from all there possessions, clothes, technology, and deny them food, because ALL of that came to be by use of animals.

If it wasn't for humanity using animals as resource, we wouldn't be here.

QFT

I love animals. I can't even stand to watch one animal killing another in the wild for food, never mind being abused by a human.

But this is going a bit far! The park horses are loved and well cared for. If someone needs to be taken out of Central Park, and maybe out of NYC altogether, it's the councilman.

I cringe every time I see those carriages. Those poor animals are freezing, lugging fat-assed tourists around in the snow, it's just so sad.

They aren't meant to be in NYC traffic. Even walking on asphalt for long periods of time causes pain and eventual deformity. And some get hit by cars every year.

Sure, you could argue that someone who eats meat or wears leather shoes (like me) is a hypocrite to care. So, fine. I'm a hypocrite. It doesn't mean I have to stand up and applaud every time someone abuses an animal.

And really, we're talking about animals working in dangerous conditions for entertainment. If you can't find a way to entertain yourself in New York City, you aren't trying.

And as far as it making the city seem or feel different, well, things change. Not every tradition is worth preserving.

That sucks I wanted to one day go on a carriage ride. :(

Bet the reporter had fun with all the puns...seems bizarre to target the carriages when there are so many other issues to tackle.