Where will New York's horses go after carriages are shut down

Time may be running out for the famous horse-drawn carriages that carry tourists around New York City's Central Park.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has already declared his intention to shut down the industry, saying it is inhumane to keep horses in modern-day Manhattan. While that debate could be over, at least one nagging question remains: What will become of the horses?

Both sides insist they will find a sanctuary for the approximately 200 horses licensed to pull carriages in New York City. But drivers warn that shutting down the city stables might have the unintended effect of eliminating a rare outlet for surplus horses pouring out of the farming and racing industries - sending them faster to the slaughterhouse.

"If they did not come to New York City, most of these horses would be dead," said Ian McKeever, an Irish carriage driver who owns nine Central Park horses.

That's an argument that infuriates critics of the industry, who say the nation's unwanted horse dilemma is no excuse to preserve an inhumane business.

"Anyone who cares about a horse wouldn't think that taking it and sticking it in Midtown traffic is the right answer to that problem," said Allie Feldman, executive director of a leading anti-carriage lobbying group, New Yorkers for Clean, Liveable and Safe Streets.