According to officials, a carriage horse collapsed and died on a Manhattan street Tuesday afternoon, rekindling the controversy surrounding the employment of the animals.
Around 2:28 p.m., Lady, a 15-year-old Standardbred Crosshorse, unexpectedly passed out close to West 51st. and 11th Ave. in Hell’s Kitchen while she was traveling from Central Park to her stable, according to authorities.
When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered the horse unconscious on the ground and assisted in getting her to Clinton Park Stables.
Christina Hansen, a shop steward for the Transport Workers Union Local 100, stated that Lady had just begun her duty as a famous carriage horse in New York City, having arrived here in June. At that time, a thorough physical was performed, and no anomalies were found.
A block from the scene of her collapse, Lady was a member of the Clinton Park Stables, a horse boarding stable business located on West 52nd St. According to police, a necropsy is anticipated and the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene was alerted.
Unfortunately, according to Hansen, animals—including people and horses—can pass away unexpectedly and without warning. To ascertain the cause of death, we are demanding that a thorough necropsy be performed by a board-certified pathologist at a reputable university.
Following the fall of a horse named Ryder on W. 45th St. near Ninth Ave. on August 10, 2022, New York City carriage driver Ian McKeever was found not guilty by a Manhattan jury of overdriving, abusing, and harming animals.
In reaction to the tragedy, city officials pushed for the horse carriage industry to be outlawed.
State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal stated that the lady’s terrible and avoidable death serves as a reminder to all animal lovers of the need to outlaw horse-drawn carriages in the Big Apple. Horses are being driven to the brink of breakdown, as we witnessed with Ryder and now with Lady. Before we declare that enough is enough, how many horses must perish in our streets amid automobiles, motorcycles, and people, as well as under hazardous working conditions? It’s time for New York City to join Chicago and other large cities in outlawing this needless and cruel practice.
On Wednesday, New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) and People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) will stage a demonstration outside the Clinton Park Stables.
The death of Lady was described as a pattern of cruelty by NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant, who also criticized Mayor Adams, Councilmember Lynn Schulman, and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for failing to schedule hearings to outlaw the usage of horse-drawn carriages in the city.
Birnkrant told the Daily News that there are older horses who shouldn’t be on the streets at all, underweight and ill animals, and horses who suffer in silence and with each stride. This is devastating. Due to severe heatwaves and low air quality over the past week, these horses are suffering. The conditions and lack of proper care in New York City are intolerable to them. No more dead horses are needed.
