The city’s hansom cabbies yesterday demanded safer conditions for their horses after one carriage-toting mare became frightened by street music and died crashing into a tree.
The Horse and Carriage Association of New York called on city officials to move musicians and performers from the horse-carriage staging areas in and around Central Park, after a 13-year-old horse named Smoothie was killed Friday.
“Loud, piercing, scary types of noises, it just doesn’t mix, not next to these horses,” said Cornelius Byrne, owner of Central Park Carriages, where Smoothie was stabled.
Byrne and others also requested the installation of hitching posts to tie and secure the horses, more water spigots and better drainage for horse waste.
Performers around the park said the horse’s death was not their fault.
“It was an unfortunate accident and they’re trying to blame us,” said street musician James Williams.