Animal rights activists are calling for horse carriages in New York to be replaced with electric cars after distressing footage of a carriage horse who collapsed suddenly in Hell’s Kitchen went viral.
Onlookers watched horrified as Ryder, 14, tripped, and then was unable to stand up for an hour. His “frustrated” driver attempted unsuccessfully to get him on his feet again, reportedly “flogging” the horse.
“He started whipping and saying ‘Get up, get up. Like bro, don’t whip your horse, he obviously needs some water, he looked dehydrated,” eyewitness Kevin Gonzalez told NBC New York.
After failing to rouse the horse for some time, the driver called in the NYPD’s Mounted Unit. Officers, concerned that Ryder was dehydrated, hosed him down.
“The NYPD takes the health and well-being of our four-legged friends in New York City very seriously, and are glad that our trained equestrian officers were able to assist,” the NYPD told People. Ryder was reportedly taken to a stable after the incident to receive “proper veterinary care.”
According to CBS, a spokeswoman for the carriage drivers said that the horse’s condition was the result of an undiagnosed neurological disease caused by eating contaminated grass. He is apparently now on the mend, and will be retired from his carriage-pulling work.
Christina Hansen, the spokeswoman, claimed that rights groups are exaggerating the significance of yesterday’s accident to further their agenda.
“I think it’s understandable being a political lobbying group, that they would try to exploit this instance and prey on peoples feelings, because we are all upset when we see a horse down in the street,” she said.
The incident has nevertheless stoked longstanding outrage against a practice that looks increasingly outmoded and cruel.
“New Yorkers are tired of seeing horses collapsing in the streets on hot days. New Yorkers are tired of seeing sick horses worked until they drop,” said Ashley Byrne, director of outreach for PETA.
“We are better than this. As New Yorkers, we are better than this. The time has long since passed for us to transition away from this industry,” City Councilman Eric Bottcher said.
“This is absolutely horrifying,” posted Voters For Animal Rights on Instagram. “Today a carriage horse collapsed on 45th & 9th. We don’t know exactly what happened. Speaker NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams @nycspeakeradams and the New York City Council @nyccouncil has the power to stop horse carriages. But they need to hear from YOU, their constituents, to demand action NOW.”
