Horses were never meant for Manhattan. Every day, carriage horses navigate honking traffic, hot pavement, and the unpredictable chaos of one of the world's busiest cities — conditions that no animal should endure for the sake of a tourist ride.

The cost of this industry has been measured in tragedy. Ryder, a carriage horse, collapsed and died pulling tourists through Manhattan in 2022. Deniz, 16 years old, collapsed in Central Park just recently. And last year, 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan lost his life after jumping from a runaway carriage in Central Park to help his mother, who had fallen onto the roadway. These are not isolated incidents. They are a pattern.

Romanch's Law (Intro 943) would phase out New York City's horse-drawn carriage industry, ensure the humane retirement of the city's remaining carriage horses, and create workforce transition and job training programs so that drivers aren't left behind. This isn't about punishing workers — it's about recognizing that an industry built on the suffering of animals and the risk of human life has no place in a city that can do better.

Majority Leader Shaun Abreu and a growing number of City Council members are behind this bill. The momentum is real. What it needs now is a clear, public signal that New Yorkers want this to happen.

Sign this petition to urge the New York City Council to pass Romanch's Law — for Romanch, for Ryder, for Deniz, and for every horse still on these streets.