By Edith Honan

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Central Park horse and buggy ride, for decades an iconic New York experience along with a Broadway show or a visit to the Empire State Building, is facing extinction.

An animal rights group devoted to abolishing the horse carriage industry in New York City declared victory today.

Joe Lhota’s mayoral campaign is crying foul on one of Bill de Blasio’s newest endorsements, from a coalition of 33 teamsters unions.

January 1 marks the end of Bloomberg's mayoral reign, but it also might usher in the end of the horse-driven carriage. The controversial carriages have been the subject of debate for a while, and now it appears both mayoral candidates/frontrunners will seek to end the industry if elected.

Hold your horses. Democrat or Republican, both Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota have plans to end horse-drawn carriage rides in the city, which is worrying for the drivers of the carriages.

With just 12 days left until the mayoral primary election, one of the more surprising groups hitting the streets to petition voters isn’t backing one candidate.

Joy Tirado is no quitter.

NEW YORK (WLNY) – Horse-drawn carriage rides through Central Park are a popular attraction — and fuel for debate — in New York City.

David Barton, the eccentric gym mogul whose fitness clubs are known for their outlandish nightclub atmosphere, is jumping on the horsewagon.

A carriage horse suddenly collapsed on a Salt Lake City street over the weekend and since then the city has become a hotbed of arguments over whether such rides are humane.