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Carriage horse who collapsed on Manhattan street in August has died
By
Rebecca Redelmeier
Published Oct 17, 2022
Modified Oct 18, 2022
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Courtesy TWU
By
Rebecca Redelmeier
Published Oct 17, 2022
Modified Oct 18, 2022
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The carriage horse who collapsed on a Manhattan street in August has died, according to animal rights groups and the union that represents carriage drivers.
The treatment of the horse, named Ryder, drew outcry from animal rights activists earlier this year after viral videos showed him lying motionless in the street and getting hosed down by police during a hot summer day. Other videos from that day also show the horse’s owner hitting him and trying to pull him into standing position. A vet later told Gothamist the animal was too old and not strong enough to be working that day.
After the incident, the owners gave Ryder to a farm outside the city, which later sent him to the Cornell Equine Hospital for medical attention, according to a press release from the animal care organizations involved in his case.
But the horse’s condition continued to decline, caretakers said, and they made the decision to euthanize him. The death has led to renewed calls for the industry to be shut down, while the union representing carriage horse drivers is calling on the city for more resources to care for the animals.
“We were hoping that he would be able to respond to treatment, or recover, or at least live the rest of his life out in peace,” said Edita Birnkrant, executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, or NYCLASS. “But it seemed that he was too sick.”
In a separate statement, Birnkrant said Ryder’s death should move city leaders “to end carriage horse abuse once and for all.”
The horse’s body has since been transported to Cornell, where a necropsy is underway to determine the cause of death. The health department has accused the horse carriage’s owners of falsifying Ryder’s age in veterinary records, from 26 to 13 years old, according to the department’s records.
NYCLASS has called on city leaders to pass a new bill that would effectively ban the horse carriage industry. The legislation, introduced in July by Council member Robert Holden from Queens, would block new licenses and replace the horse-drawn carriage industry with horseless, electric carriages instead.
Mayor Eric Adams won the support of the Transit Workers Union Local 100, which represents carriage horse workers, in his election bid last year. He has not taken a stance on banning the carriages outright, but his office expressed sorrow at the death of Ryder.
“Ryder’s owner was a bad actor in the horse-drawn carriage industry who is now facing fines and being held accountable for his actions," mayoral spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said in an emailed statement. "An investigation into Ryder’s owner determined that he submitted false information to DOHMH about the horse’s age on both the license application and health certificate."
Mamelak added, "We are reviewing the legislation on the proposed ban of horse-drawn carriages.”
TWU officials said improvements to the industry have been made since Ryder’s collapse.
“We are very saddened to learn of Ryder’s passing,” said Christina Hansen, Central Park horse-carriage driver and chief shop steward with the union. “Thanks to him, we have initiated new veterinary and safety protocols.”
The union has also called on the city to provide more industry oversight and more resources for carriage horses and their drivers.
But Birnkrant said she believes the only way to prevent other horses from suffering a similar fate to Ryder is to end the practice of horse-drawn carriages in New York City all together.
“The systemic abuse and mistreatment of these horses is baked into the entire operation of horse carriages in New York City,” Birnkrant said. “On every level, there was a failure to protect Ryder.”
This story has been updated with comment from City Hall.
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parks
Rebecca Redelmeier
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