Last month fellow musician Pink added her voice to those who support the ban, and featured on a Peta billboard in the city.

Hynde, who has joined forces with Peta, said: "Learning about how horses have died in accidents and seeing their pathetic stalls have caused me to change my tune about the carriage horses".

The banning of horse-drawn carriages from the city started with the Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages. And last year a less-than-rosy report by New York's Comptroller has added momentum to the movement.

Legislation backing a ban was introduced by New York City Council Member Tony Avella, and os joined by council member Maria Del Carmen Arroyo, Melissa Mark Viverito and Annabel Palma.

The Peta-Pink billboard will be in Times Square for a month, and already the campaign has been hailed a success. Huge press coverage in the US has ensued, with Pink being interviewed by various media, including Associated Press Television, Reuters Television, RTL German TV, CBS, Access Hollywood, BBC Radio. ependent Television News), Gothamist AceShowBiz, Popcrunch, and SkyNews.