A carriage horse collapsed and died on a Manhattan street Tuesday afternoon, officials said — reigniting the debate over use of the animals.
The 15-year-old Standardbred Cross horse named “Lady” was on her way from Central Park to her stable when she suddenly collapsed around 2:28 p.m. near West 51St. and 11th Ave. in Hell’s Kitchen, officials said.
Officers responding to the scene saw the horse unresponsive on the ground, and helped transport transport her to Clinton Park Stables.
“Lady had just started her role as an iconic NYC carriage horse, arriving here in June,” Transport Workers Union Local 100 Shop Steward Christina Hansen said. “A complete physical was conducted at that time and no abnormalities were identified.”
Lady belonged to the Clinton Park Stables — a horse boarding stable company on West 52nd St. — a block away from where she collapsed. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene was notified and an necropsy is expected, cops said.
“Sadly, animals, including humans and horses, sometimes die suddenly and unexpectedly,” Hansen said. “We are insisting that a complete necropsy be conducted by a board certified pathologist at an esteemed university to determine the cause of death.”
The incident comes after a Manhattan jury acquitted New York City carriage driver Ian Mckeever, who had been accused of overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals stemming from the collapse of a horse named Ryder on W. 45th St. near Ninth Ave. on Aug. 10, 2022.
City officials pushed for outlawing the horse carriage industry in response to the incident.
“Lady’s horrific and preventable death reminds every animal lover why banning the use of horse carriages in the Big Apple is a must,” said state Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. “As we saw with Ryder, and now with Lady, horses are being pushed to the point of collapse. How many horses must die on our streets, in the midst of cars, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians, and subjected to dangerous working conditions, before we say enough is enough? It is high time for New York City to follow the lead of Chicago and other major cities by prohibiting this inhumane and unnecessary practice.”
People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets ( NYCLASS) are set to hold a rally Wednesday outside the Clinton Park Stables.
NYCLASS executive director Edita Birnkrant slammed Mayor Adams, Councilmember Lynn Schulman, and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for not holding hearings to ban the use of horse carriages in the city, calling the death of Lady a “pattern of cruelty.”
“There are horses who are suffering silently, in pain with every step they take, elderly horses who shouldn’t be on the streets at all, underweight and unwell horses,” Birnkrant told the Daily News. “This is heartbreaking. These horses are suffering, poor air quality the past week, serious heatwaves. They can’t take the conditions and inadequate care of New York City. We don’t need anymore dead horses.”
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