After Deniz, a 16-year-old carriage horse, died in New York’s Central Park on June 9, 2026, his Turkish owner and carriage driver, Nurettin Kırbıyık, launched a legal process.
Kırbıyık is seeking inspections of plants in the park that could pose a danger to animals and the removal of those deemed necessary. He argues that, if the plants are not removed, clear warning signs should be placed in areas posing a risk.
It is not yet clear whether the legal initiative is a lawsuit filed directly with a court or an official process launched before litigation. No details have been disclosed about a possible compensation claim, the defendants or the court that would hear the case.
Veterinary examination finds evidence of a toxic plant
A veterinary assessment conducted after Deniz’s death found a potentially fatal amount of material in the animal’s digestive system consistent with Japanese yew, a plant known to be toxic.
According to an assessment by Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, the finding indicates that the toxic plant may have contributed to Deniz’s death. However, because the full necropsy report has not been made public, plant consumption is being considered as a possible cause of poisoning rather than a confirmed cause of death.
Deniz had been with Kırbıyık for approximately 10 years and was carrying two passengers at the time of the incident.
TWU Local 100, the union representing carriage drivers, also linked the death to the consumption of a toxic plant and argued that there was no evidence of overwork, mistreatment or neglect. The union said Deniz had undergone a routine examination by a veterinarian from the NYPD Mounted Police Unit in March and had been deemed fit to work.
Park management and Turkish carriage driver face off
Central Park Conservancy says that park rules prohibit horses from eating plants and require carriage drivers to supervise their animals at all times.
Kırbıyık, however, maintains that the presence of toxic plants in areas where carriage horses regularly work and move around creates responsibility for park management.
Debate over carriage ban returns to the agenda
Deniz’s death and Kırbıyık’s legal initiative come as debate continues in New York over the future of horse-drawn carriages.
New York City Council Member Christopher Marte reintroduced an updated version of Ryder’s Law, which aims to ban horse-drawn carriages in the city, on June 11, 2026. The bill is expected to go to a vote after completion of the environmental review process.
The measure was introduced after a carriage horse named Ryder collapsed in 2022 and later died.
Deniz’s death has renewed debate over horse welfare, carriage drivers’ duty to supervise the animals, the obligations of park management and the future of horse-drawn carriages in New York.
How the legal process initiated by Kırbıyık will conclude and whether any institution bears legal responsibility for the incident will become clear as the process advances.
