The Village Voice has named the carriage horses as #9 on the list of the 100 Most Powerless New Yorkers.

"These horses work in the hottest hot and the coldest cold. Despite the fact even the best-trained horse can be spooked unexpectedly, they walk right in the middle of traffic on the busiest streets of Midtown, even at rush hour. This past year, three have collapsed, one fatally, on the job."

The New York carriage horse industry has been mired in controversy, with opponents complaining of poor working conditions and housing, as well as disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the horses.