The two little blonde girls, each no more than nine, stood next to their parents on the cobblestone sidewalk at 59th Street and Fifth Avenue, slouching in the way only bored children can.

Horse-drawn carriage rides around Central Park bring in about $15 million a year, and, in the words of Mayor Bloomberg, "have traditionally been a part of New York City" - though, at this point, the same could be said for the ongoing fight by animal activists to have the carriage rides banned.

Animal rights advocates are gaining momentum in the fight against the city's tourism industry as the call for a ban on carriage horses makes headway.

A ride through Central Park in a horse-drawn carriage is one of New York City's most storied attractions, the rhythmic clip-clop offering a respite from the hustle of everyday life.

This past weekend, I had the great pleasure of seeing your new film War Horse. It's a stunningly moving portrait of the plight of horses in World War I, and the enormous difference a single person's kindness can make.

This is getting ridiculous.

nconveniently for the oft-criticized Horse and Carriage Association of New York, there was a camera nearby again.

Humans aren't the only ones who are pushed beyond their physical and mental limits to feverishly "enjoy" the holidays: it's the busiest time of the year for New York City's carriage horses.

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) - While animal activists are up in arms about the latest carriage horse incident in New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is shrugging it off.

Central Park, New York - Yesterday a white Percheron horse pulling a carriage with four passengers stumbled and fell as he walked along Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and 5th Avenue. According to the ASPCA there were no injuries - neither human nor horse.