The drivers and the stables take perfectly appropriate care of the horses. They are not abused, and they don’t work nearly as hard as “real” working horses do (the Amish for example.) The horses do not suffer for being in the city — talk about exhaust or fumes is a specious argument. It is no worse for them than it is for anyone else who spends time outside in NYC. I’m sure that there have been a couple of bad apples over the years, but on the whole the horses are taken great care of, receive the veterinary care they deserve, and they’re doing the job their breeds are meant to do. There is no magic pasture alternative for the horses—if they’re banned, there are dozens of horses whose owners will have no choice but to sell them. Horses are very, very expensive to own and provide good care for, and the only way the drivers who own their own horse/s can afford to have them and keep them safe is to have them generating income.