De Blasio seeks to ban Horse-Drawn Carriage rides in Central Park

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Speaking as a horse-lover who gets concerned about their welfare pretty easily, this is a faintly absurd policy. I'm going to go ahead and join the chorus of voices agreeing with Ray's proposed solution.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Exhaust and asphalt are very bad for horses, but if the Central Park horses are never exposed to either,

I believe they are, but that's all the more reason to support Ray's proposal that they simply not be.

If that turns out to be completely unfeasible then it may be time to consider a ban on animal welfare grounds, sure. Densely populated areas aren't inherently bad for horses as a concept provided that their stabling is good enough but you're right in implying that urban areas are not what they were a hundred years ago.