Kathy Najimy’s Plea: Help Pass Ryder’s Law and End ‘Carriage Horse’ Suffering

On August 10, 2022, an emaciated horse named Ryder, who was used for carriage rides, collapsed in the middle of a busy New York City street, likely due to illness and heat exhaustion. He lay on Ninth Avenue for over an hour—with no veterinary care—while his driver slapped him, whipped him, and screamed at him to get up. Ryder eventually died on October 17, 2022, but not before a veterinarian’s exam revealed that he was malnourished, sick, and elderly. (His owner had lied about his age to the city and police.)

It’s been one year since Ryder’s death—and nothing has changed. Horses are still being forced to trudge without regulations through the busy streets of the city hauling tourists.

So actor Kathy Najimy has joined PETA to ask for your help in urging the New York City Council and Speaker Adrienne Adams to pass Ryder’s Law, retire the horses, and modernize the industry with horseless electric carriages.

“You can’t regulate the cruelty out of the horse-drawn carriage trade. A ban is the only way to protect horses like Ryder.”
—Kathy Najimy

Forcing horses to pull loads like carriages is cruel. They’re compelled to toil in extreme weather conditions, dodge traffic, and pound the pavement all day long. They may develop respiratory ailments from breathing in the exhaust fumes of motor vehicles, and they can develop debilitating leg problems due to walking on hard surfaces.

Join Kathy Najimy and Take Action Now!

Never ride in carriages pulled by horses (or any other animal), and explain to your family and friends why they shouldn’t, either. Please urge the New York City Council to hold the hearing that’s needed to advance Ryder’s Law (Intro 573), which would replace horse-drawn carriages with electric ones.