Carriage Horse Ryder Dies Months After Collapse On Street Of New York

A frail carriage horse in New York, that collapsed on the street as blistering heat gripped the city two months ago, has died. Ryder the horse became a symbol of animal abuse when a video showing it lying on the street near the intersection of West 45th Street and 9th Avenue in the Hells Kitchen area went viral on social media. The onlookers watched in horror as the carriage driver was seen flogging the horse that lay on the ground exhausted.

After the collapse, Ryder was retired and taken to Maple Hill Farms by animal rescue organizations. The horse was taken to the Cornell Equine Hospital, where veterinarians diagnosed him with a number of medical conditions. He was humanely euthanised last week, according to a report in Metro.

"He wasn't gaining any weight, even though he was getting much better care and food," Edita Birnkrant, the executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS), an animal rights organisation, told the outlet.

After its collapse on August 10, police reached the spot and two officers used a hose pipe to spray water on the animal to cool it off. The video of the entire incident was captured by one of the bystanders.

Some people who were present on the road where the incident took place said when the horse initially buckled to the ground, the carriage driver was seen whipping it with its reins in an attempt to get it to stand back up.

Distressed by extreme heat, the horse eventually laid its head on the asphalt after which the driver removed it from the carriage.

After the incident, a number of animal welfare organisations called for ending the carriage horse abuse. The New York Post said in a report that a bill has been introduced in the New York City Council to outlaw the horse carriage industry and there have been proposals for electric carriages to replace them.