Wild video shows spooked NYC carriage horse running into Midtown traffic
A Central Park carriage horse ran through multiple lanes of Midtown Manhattan traffic Thursday after an apparent spooking incident. Obtained by the NY Post
A Central Park carriage horse bolted into heavy Midtown traffic last week after becoming spooked, according to dramatic video obtained by The Post.
The horse took off along Sixth Avenue near Central Park South on Thursday morning after it was reportedly left unattended, a source familiar with the incident said. Footage shows the animal racing through several lanes of traffic and striking roughly five vehicles — including a yellow taxi — before finally stopping around 11:20 a.m.
Police said no injuries were reported. An NYPD investigation is ongoing.
Animal welfare advocates sharply criticized the incident. NYCLASS, an advocacy group pushing to end the carriage horse industry, called the situation “reckless endangerment.”
“Forcing nervous prey animals, hardwired to flee when frightened, to pull open carriages through chaotic Manhattan streets is dangerous,” the group said. “Cities around the world have banned this practice, yet NYC continues to gamble with lives in 2026.” The organization renewed its call for a full City Council ban on carriage horses.
A spokesperson for the Transport Workers Union, which represents Central Park carriage drivers, said the union is reviewing whether disciplinary action will be taken against the driver involved.
“Carriage drivers have an obligation to maintain constant control and care of their horses, and this incident does not meet our standards,” the spokesperson said. The driver reportedly told investigators he was standing “near” the horse at the time.
The union added that the horse may have been startled by a fast-moving Amazon delivery vehicle — an e-bike pulling a cargo trailer.
NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant said drivers frequently leave horses unattended in violation of the law, blaming a lack of enforcement.
“This happens consistently because there’s no accountability,” she said.
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The episode is the latest in a series of runaway carriage horse incidents in New York City. In 2025 alone, at least four similar cases were reported, prompting then-Mayor Eric Adams to call for tighter oversight of the industry.
Before leaving office on Dec. 31, Adams signed an executive order requiring carriage horses to undergo inspections by city-hired veterinarians to check for injuries, drug use, or abuse, with drivers risking license suspension for noncompliance.
That order was later rescinded after Mayor Zohran Mamdani took office and отменed executive actions issued by Adams following his indictment in a federal corruption case that was ultimately dropped. Despite that, Mamdani has recently reiterated his support for removing horse-drawn carriages from Central Park.
“I plan to deliver on that,” he said.
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