Carriage horse that collapsed in NYC's Hell's Kitchen died of an aortic rupture, union says
The cause of death of a carriage horse that collapsed and died in Hell's Kitchen Tuesday has been determined, the union representing carriage horse operators said Friday.
Lady, a 15-year-old horse that had just been brought to New York City from Pennsylvania in June, suffered an aortic rupture likely caused by a small tumor in her adrenal gland, the union said.
Transit Workers Union Local 100 said the cause of death was determined following a necropsy performed Wednesday at Cornell University Collage of Veterinary Medicine.
A prior physical when Lady arrived in New York City turned up no issues.
"At least we now have some answers"
In a statement, TWU Local 100 said it was "tragic and sad loss, and we are all mourning Lady's death. However, at least we now have some answers. The reality is that this sudden-death medical episode would kill a horse anywhere — in a field, park, stable, trail, or street — at any time."
Lady collapsed and died at 51st Street and 11th Avenue while heading back to her stable after giving two rides in Central Park. Video from the scene showed the horse on the ground as workers dragged the dead animal into a trailer.
"The pathologist's report does not include any observations indicating neglect or abuse. In fact, the pathologist who evaluated Lady's weight, coat, and muscle tone wrote she was 'in good body condition,'" the union said.
"The initial necropsy results (which are not final) are no surprise. Tumors don't appear overnight, yet just two months ago Lady was given a perfect bill of health by the carriage owners' vet, Dr. Gabriel Cook, and licensed by the City to haul carriages for miles through Midtown every day. This is a systemic failure, where horses are cleared without any comprehensive exams or blood work, then rubber-stamped by [the Department of Health] to be thrown onto chaotic city streets," said Edita Birnkrant, executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS). "The spin is nonsense. The suffering is real. No horse belongs in the inhumane, chaotic conditions of Midtown traffic or warehoused in tiny concrete stalls on the upper levels of buildings, denied pasture or room to move freely."
"There was zero wrongdoing or negligence here," Cook said, who did not conduct the necropsy.
Lady's death renews calls for Ryder's Law
Lady's death sparked renewed calls for what's called Ryder's Law, which is named after a horse that collapsed back in 2022. Ryder died of cancer several months later following a medical retirement. Ryder's handler Ian McKeever was charged with animal cruelty and found not guilty at trial last month.
Ryder's Law would phase out horse-drawn carriages in the city slowly, over time. Advocates rallied Wednesday, calling for an end to carriage horses in the city.
"How long will this continue? How long will these horses have to suffer? How long will the City Council just ignore Ryder's Law?" City Councilman Robert Holden questioned Wednesday.
Holden took aim at carriage horse handlers in his remarks.
"They don't care about horses, or they wouldn't work them to death. They work the horses to death," Holden said.
"There's no horse abuse happening on the streets of New York"
Christina Hansen, who represents the carriage drivers in the city, took issue with that.
"There's no horse abuse happening on the streets of New York or here inside the walls of the West 52nd Street Stable," Hansen said. "The fact that they would exploit the tragedy and have no compassion for the people that actually knew this horse, who drove this horse, who owned this horse, who took care of this horse 24 hours a day just shows you where their priorities are."