The drivers usually encourage interaction between the public and the horses. And the horses love the attention!
When we were kids we'd always bring a bag of carrots with us to feed to the horses when we were going to midtown. That's my sister in the first picture. Later, she she paid her way thru nursing school by driving a carriage through Central Park on weekends and during school breaks.
My brother once drove a team of grays for The Cattleman. He usually drove the restaurant patrons once around the block but sometimes he'd transport them to the theater. The outside horse, Shawn, did not like people approaching him from the rear and more than once they were sent flying by a kick from his rear leg. Stephen always warned them beforehand ... but some people refuse to listen. There was never a lawsuit.
To be perfectly frank, I’ve never seen children fooling around with these horses. I’ve also found the drivers unfriendly to the point of hostility. Many of them are deeply eccentric, as well. That said, I’d like to see them remain and Kaiser Wilhelm defeated on his first so-very-important initiative.
Thanks again for the stable info. I want to spread this news around to people who think this is an animal welfare issue.