Horse carriages lineup on Central Park South, in New York City

Joe Lhota, GOP New York mayoral candidate, is against horse and carriage rides in Central Park.

That puts him in opposition to 300 drivers, about half of them Irish, who depend on the horse rides for their livelihood.

But while his likely opponent Bill de Blasio has opposed the horse rides on the grounds of animal cruelty, Lhotta says it is because the horses are (gasp!) known to manufacture horse manure.

Lhota, told a radio host he would shut down the $15 million carriage industry, a fixture in New York for generations, because “The smell that they drop there is unfortunate,” he said. “The smell on Central Park South is also unfortunate.”

So 300 perfectly good tourist related jobs will be eliminated if Joe becomes mayor because of horse dung.

To which I say horse manure.

Lhota used to be in charge of the subways. I suggest he eliminate them if smell is the criteria.

Ever strolled through Times Square subway in August when the sweat is drenching and the thousands of commuters could do with a good bath?

Or stood in that overcrowded rat hotel called Penn Station that Lhota also used to oversee when there are train delays, the air conditioning is useless and you can smell the ripe sweat glands of your fellow men and women?

Now that’s smell Joe.

Some outdoor horse manure smell in comparison is pretty minor. And besides with the horse diapers it is a passing phenomenon for most people.

So wise up Joe, losing 300 jobs because horses do what comes naturally in the horse diapers attached to each carriage is an insane proposition.

You are starting to make the Democrats the party of good sense on this issue. An animal rights pitch, even though I believe the horses are treated very well, has far more resonance.

So cut out the horse dung Joe and admit you just stepped in it.

Cutting 300 good jobs at a time when it is hard to find decent employment makes no sense.

In fact it is horseshit.