AT an event on Monday in the Bronx where he promoted universal pre-kindergarten in the city, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, an ardent opponent of the horse and carriage trade in Central Park, was asked if he had similar concern for NYPD horses which also work on the city streets.

De Blasio, who has vowed to ban the carriage horses from Central Park, took issue with the comparison.

“Apples and oranges. Can I use apples and oranges with a horse analogy?  It’s – you know, obviously NYPD I have immense respect for what they do to keep us safe. And the police horses have been a part of that,” de Blasio responded.

“And that is something that’s about the public’s vital interest. So I think it’s a very different reality than something, you know, that’s about tourism.”

The mayor backtracked from his stated goal to ban the horses from Central Park as one of his first acts in office. He now says he will push the ban towards the end of this year, though it remains to be seen if he will win a majority in the City Council for his controversial plan.