The chances of getting hit by a horse and carriage in this day and age, especially in New York, are much slimmer than, let's say, the 18th century. But, they're not zero.
Videos by Wide Open Country
A horse-drawn carriage in Central Park decided to take itself for a little joyride, sans rider or passengers. The video, shared online, shows the free-range pony hurtling along the paths, outpacing joggers and cyclists with ease. A horse on its own wouldn't be such a problem, but with the massive carriage on the back, it's a rolling weapon.
At around 6 pm, the horse and carriage covered about half a mile from Tavern on the Green to The Dairy. It maintained a pretty steady pace and looked like it was having a blast. It had managed to break free, getting out of its bridle. The horse wasn't attached to any hitching post at the time, with none available.
The preliminary investigation has shown that the driver showed no signs of negligence.
Pedestrians Diving For Cover From Fleeing Filly
People in the path of the driverless horse and carriage in New York Central Park were sent flying. "I was there with my friend walking on the sidewalk and almost got trampled by the poor horse. It was so terrifying," Hayley told NYCLASS. "My friend and I were walking on the sidewalk to the right of the Central Park Loop ... when I heard lots of screams & hooves."
They had only minutes to figure out what was going on. They chose to dive from the path of the oncoming out-of-control horse and carriage. "We had a split second to move out of the way. Over the wire fence between the sidewalk and trees, when the horse ran past us."
@mirandamooney If you're against carriage rides in NYC, call your city council member and ask them to call Intro 967 to a vote! (Ryder's Law bill proposal is no longer active. This is the recent updated legislation).
? there she goes - ??
The driver was just behind, using a pedal cab to ask people where on earth his horse had gone. "About a minute later, we saw a pedicab pull up with someone in the backseat, who was presumably the driver, as many people were yelling and giving him instructions on which direction the horse went," she told the outlet.
Thankfully, another driver was able to communicate with the other driver and apprehend the runaway horse and carriage. It did no damage to any property or people. But, it'll probably give a few people pause for thought next time they run through Central Park with headphones on.
