Since his election, Mayor Bill de Blasio insisted he wouldn't back off from his campaign pledge to ban horse-drawn carriages, but new documents obtained by NY1 indicate that City Hall, for months, has been eyeing only a partial ban. NY1's Josh Robin filed the following report.

Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to ban horses in his first week on the job.

Even as the industry and some of its allies pushed back, he stuck to his pledge.

"I know where I want to get us, ultimately," de Blasio said.

Ultimately, perhaps. But as de Blasio spoke that July day, City Hall was looking for a new lane.

A document, also from July, ordered consultants hired by the city to look not just at the ban. They also were asked to assess limiting the number of total carriage licenses and carriage licenses to be used at any time, and restrict rides to Central Park.

A page later, the price tag for this additional study: more than $53,000. This, apparently on top of the more than $400,000 budgeted.

Tuesday, de Blasio ducked questions about a partial ban. In a TV interview Wednesday, he acknowledged he didn't have the votes in the City Council.

"I think that horses don't belong on the streets of New York City, but I'm also working with the City Council that has a range of views on this issue," de Blasio said.

Multiple Council members, speaking privately, say there are more important issues, and according to polls, most New Yorkers agree.

That's not all. The Central Park Conservancy, which takes care of the park, sees stabling the horses here as a non-starter, prohibitavely expensive and logistically unfeasibile. The group, though, is under contract with the City and has avoided taking on the mayor publicly. Officials there didn't respond for comment Wednesday.

Drivers, rather than happy that some jobs would survive under the plan, seem intent to keep alive what they call an institution.

"I might lose my job. That's the thing," said horse carriage driver Abu Coulibaly. "That's not a good idea."

The animal activists who helped elect de Blasio and bankroll him now also seem to say "neigh."

A statement from them reads, "NYCLASS’ number one priority is and has always been the safety of carriage horses. We need to see more details, and frankly, we need to see action and not just promises. But we will continue to work with the Mayor and City leaders to protect the horses."

One thing seems clear: For this "only in New York" controversy, the finish line doesn't appear in sight.