For more than 150 years, horse-drawn carriages have been trotting through Manhattan’s Central Park, weathering the arrival of the automobile, years of criticism from animal rights activists and even a mayoral administration that vowed to ban the tourist activity.

But now the influential nonprofit that manages the 843-acre park—and has previously stayed out of the debate—has thrown its support behind a proposal to wind down the industry as early as next summer.

The Central Park Conservancy argued in an August 12 letter to the City Council that horse carriages have an outsized impact on public safety and road infrastructure in the increasingly crowded park.

“Horses are too unpredictable and the roadways are too busy with too many different kinds of users now,” said Elizabeth Smith, the conservancy’s CEO.

Smith noted global cities, including London, Paris and Beijing, have already banned the nostalgic rides, some of them even embracing horseless, electric-powered versions.

Eliminating carriage horses also goes against famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s vision for the park, with its hilly paths and undulating roads tailor-made for leisurely carriage rides, argues Christina Hansen, a longtime carriage driver and industry spokesperson.

“We’re seeing the park the way it was meant to be seen,” she said.

Animal rights groups have long complained that horses can get easily spooked on busy city streets, leading to accidents and injuries. They also claim the horses are overworked and live in inadequate stables, and their drivers flaunt city regulations, including leaving behind piles of horse manure. All animals are supposed to be fitted with manure-catching devices.

Carriage horse owners and drivers maintain that their horses enjoy a life of relative ease. Under city regulations, each is inspected by a veterinarian twice a year and must retire by the age of 26.

They work a maximum of nine hours a day and must stop giving rides if it’s above 89°F (32°C) or above 80°F (27°C) with high humidity. They also don’t work if there’s severe weather, and must get at least five weeks’ vacation a year outside city limits with daily access to pasture.

This article was provided by The Associated Press.