A final farewell to NYC’s horse carriage industry

This post was originally published on Politico.

The City Council voted to abolish the city's horse carriage industry.

GOODBYE HORSES: New York City isn’t horsing around anymore.

The City Council voted overwhelmingly today to abolish the Big Apple’s horse carriage industry, handing a historic win to animal rights activists who’ve pushed to end the tourist attraction for decades.

The vote doesn’t mean the industry sunsets overnight, though. The bill enacting the ban — which passed the Council with 40 yays, 7 nays and 2 abstentions — allows the roughly 200 carriage drivers who shuttle tourists around Central Park to continue operating until June 2028, when the industry will be reined into a legal halt officially.

Council Speaker Julie