Amendments to improve care for New York's hard-working carriage horses were reviewed at a Feb. 3 NYC Health Department public hearing.

The NYC Administrative and Health Codes guide the health, safety, and well-being of the city's licensed horses. These Health Department Advisory Board amendments are intended to introduce more modern and humane standards into everyday operations, plus clarify procedures for oversight and enforcement. Read the document.

Should the proposals pass, owners, carriage drivers, and city agencies would face changes, including microchips for horses, stable sprinkler systems, and training courses for drivers.

Proposed at a Dec. 17 Health Department meeting, the amendments coincide with remarks by the governor about the treatment of the industry's equines