Little House on the Prairie star Melissa Gilbert sent a direct message to a politician, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, the former child actress who played Laura Ingalls Wilder, now 61, took to Instagram with a blunt video about a law that aims to protect carriage horses in NYC.
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“This message is for New York City Council Speaker Adams," Gilbert began in the clip. "Speaker Adams, it has been brought to my attention that you are single-handedly blocking Ryder’s Law—even going so far as to block a hearing on it. That is unacceptably cruel, corrupt and undemocratic.”
“The people of New York City have a right to a hearing. We already know that a super-majority of New Yorkers support Ryder’s Law, as does the Central Park Conservancy. Meanwhile, horses continue to collapse and drop dead. They're even running wild and injuring people in the park, nearly killing others," she added.
To conclude her video, Gilbert declared, "Speaker Adams, this insanity must stop. As a resident of New York, I demand that you schedule a hearing immediately so that the people can vote on Ryder's Law."
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Gilbert's advocacy for carriage horses in NYC through Ryder's Law came on the heels of the actress sending a different political message on Election Day.
Additionally, the Little House on the Prairie star has spoken out about the "disgusting" horse carriage business and Ryder's Law on Instagram at least twice in recent months.
In August 2025, the Central Park Conservancy sent a letter to the City Council saying that horse carriages have an impact on public safety, with Elizabeth Smith, the conservancy’s CEO, arguing, “We can’t be just frozen in time.”
“Horses are too unpredictable and the roadways are too busy with too many different kinds of users now — bikers, runners, pedestrians, strollers,” she added.
Smith noted that many cities are in the process of ending the industry, with Chicago and Montreal banning it since 2021, and San Antonio passing a five-year phase-out.
Meanwhile, carriage horse owners and drivers have defended the practice, arguing that the animals have a “life of relative ease” and are inspected by a veterinarian twice a year, according to The Associated Press.
Next: Little House on the Prairie Actress Faces Home Eviction Amid Health & Financial Struggles
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