Animal rights activists protest after a carriage horse that fell in New York City’s street.
The horse named Ryder remained on the ground in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan for more than an hour while police hosed him down. The pavement was even hotter than the temperature at 87 degrees.
He was finally able to stand up.
“The time has come to end this barbaric, inhumane practice,”Robert Holden, New York City Councilman, spoke at a press conference.
Horse activists want to ban horses completely.
Witnesses claim that Ryder was in severe distress for hours before he could go any further.
“Hours before Ryder collapsed on Aug. 10, he was seen struggling to walk, falling to his knees,”Edita Birnkrant was the NYCLASS executive director.
The horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park is an integral part of New York’s tourism experience. But for years, animal rights activists have been calling for an end to the tradition, claiming it’s cruel.
Christina Hansen, who represents carriage driver drivers, claims Ryder suffers from a neurological disorder. He was not suffering heat stroke at the time he fell.
“There’s no reason to ban well cared for, highly regulated businesses who are taking good care of the horses,” Hansen said.
Ryder lives now at what’s being called “a” “vacation ranch,”Where he is completely retired.