06/15/2026
SHARE OUT IF YOU LOVE HORSES!
Yet another horse has died in New York City’s carriage trade. Deniz, a 16-year-old male who worked the city streets for a decade, collapsed and died in Central Park on June 9th near famous Strawberry Fields. His final breaths were caught on tape, a video that has gone viral, sparking grief and outrage. This latest tragedy has also reignited calls for New York City to end the carriage trade once and for all.
In this episode of UnchainedTV’s award-winning Truth Files podcast, host Jane Velez-Mitchell dives into the rising national movement to end this controversial practice. Joining the conversation are Edita Birnkrant, Executive Director of NYCLASS and one of the nation's leading voices against the trade, along with prominent NYC social media influencer Jamie Logan. Together, they discuss the growing momentum to pass Ryder’s Law, a bill that would ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC.
The tide is undeniably turning. The podcast highlights how the mood of the nation is shifting, pointing to the Philadelphia City Council's historic vote to ban the carriage horse businesses. Both famed tennis star Martina Navratilova and Meghan McCain, former co-host of The View, have expressed heartache and anger on X over the horse’s death. Crucially, even the prominent Central Park Conservancy has broken tradition to take a public stand urging an end to horse drawn carriages.
Advocates argue these gentle animals deserve dignity, not the stress of navigating gridlocked traffic, exhaust fumes, and concrete. However, opponents push back; Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing the drivers, maintains that the horses are well-cared for and that a ban would eliminate jobs. Truth Files extends an open invitation to union representatives to comment further. Tune in to hear how the tragic loss of Deniz, caught on video, could be the game changer for horses,
