Carriage Horse Collapses And Dies In Midtown

The ASPCA is conducting an investigation into the death of a carriage horse that collapsed and died Sunday morning on West 54th Street near Eighth Avenue in Midtown.

The white equine was heading towards Central Park when at around 9:30AM it collapsed. The body was taken to Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

The ASPCA told Gothamist that results from the necropsy would be available by Tuesday morning.

The death has triggered animal rights activists to condemn the use of carriage horses in the city. The ASPCA said in a statement:

We at the ASPCA express our sadness and concern at this tragic incident. The life of a carriage horse on New York City streets is extremely difficult and life threatening, and the ASPCA has long believed that carriage horses were never meant to live and work in today’s urban setting.

A representative for the Horse and Carriage Association of New York expressed sadness, but was also quick on the defense, "It's a tragedy. It's not something that happens regularly...Our horses are taken care of."

The city's use of horse-drawn carriages has long been a source of controversy between animal rights activists and the tourism industry. Last year, New York's City Council passed a bill ensuring horses have mandatory vacation, larger stalls, and provided blankets in cold, wet weather.

However, animal advocates suggest that such measures are not enough. New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio suggested the city catch up to other major cities and ban the industry.

London, Paris, Las Vegas, Toronto and Beijing -- New York City's chief rivals for tourism -- have all banned horse-drawn carriages in recent years, and with good reason. Our city's carriage horses work strenuous hours throughout the week and unlike the horses that plied the park a hundred years ago, today's horses travel on hard asphalt roads that wear down and damage their feet.

Comments

[BigRod49]

12:34 AM on 12/09/2011

It's 2011, folks. No more cock fights. And NO MORE CARRIAGE HORSES ! ! There are plenty of other ways tourists can amuse themselves.

[Angfreda]

06:36 PM on 11/07/2011

Two weeks ago, a carriage horse collapsed and died on its way to Central Park. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which has oversight over New York’s carriage horses, issued preliminary findings that the horse “was not a healthy horse and was likely suffering from pain” from stomach ulcers.

But a few days later, the society’s head equine veterinarian took it upon herself to issue a “correction” stating that in fact there was no evidence that the horse, Charlie, was experiencing any pain, that the ulcers he had were common in all breeds of working horses, and that the implication that Charlie was being abused was misleading.

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/vet-who-spoke-about-carriage-horses-death-is-suspended/

[CarriageHorseLover]

09:30 PM on 11/06/2011

HIckstead, an Olympic quality show jumper collapsed and died today during competition in Italy. Where is the outrage over his death? Will the ASPCA vets tell us NOW that "healthy horses don't just drop dead"? Will the ASPCA drop its sopnsorship of show jumping competitions?

Is anyone going to say that Hickstead must have been abused or neglected, because he did drop dead just like Charlie- only from what I understand, Charlie went more quickly and more quietly.

Here is a video link WARNING this is graphic- way more graphic than the photo of poor Charlie the carriage horse's body.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoL5b-KJUvo

[michaleenflynn]

03:32 PM on 10/27/2011

The mortality rate for all living things is 100% -- in other words - horses die, like everything and everyone else.

In any other horse pursuit or enterprise, the owner is offered condolences, not attacks and unfounded accusations. The necropsy report from Cornell University has not yet come back, yet people are attributing this horse's sad passing to either neglect or abuse. It is absurd.

The Mayor was completely correct in his assertion that our horses are humanely treated and enjoy the oversight of multiple city agencies. Each and every carriage horse leads a solid blue collar life, with their every need and comfort attended to. Housing, food, vet care, shoeing, vacations, retirement -- tragically, there are CHILDREN and the ELDERLY in this city who do live as well or as securely.

The Mayor ,mentioned that "many of these horses wouldn't be alive" if they didn't have jobs. This is also accurate. Any horse is considered "at risk" until it finds a home with a viable job. Thousands of unwanted and homeless horses go to slaughter every WEEK in this country. A horse with a good home and a viable job is SAFE, and lucky -- and we in the carriage business are equally as lucky to have them as our partners.

[alunsulen]

08:06 PM on 10/26/2011

I'll take a carriage ride tomorrow just to stick it to these animal rights people. I vote with my wallet.

[Dora Ponce Crossposter]

01:37 AM on 10/26/2011

It will be a relief the day this ends.

[PG812]

05:08 PM on 10/25/2011

Contrary to some assertions here, the carriage horses in NYC are not treated well overall. An undercover investigation with cameras for 24 hours will prove this point. I have personally observed the poor treatment within 5 minutes of observations, but let's give 24 hours anyway.

[quartrhoss]

04:16 PM on 12/08/2011

lets get a real horse person to do the watching/filming, NOT somebody who doesn't understand what it takes to work with horses.

[Max Shaw]

02:31 PM on 10/25/2011

Cant believe this. Its time to just rid horse drawn carriages all together. period. There is no need for them. Its a dumb tourist novelty that serves to only harm and injure animals that could be doing more good and living longer elsewhere more suitable--instead of pulling lazy romantics through a park.

[MIKEinNYC]

10:26 AM on 10/25/2011

This is not permitted here. Did Bloomies cops issue a ticket for this?

[chris428]

09:03 PM on 10/24/2011

We need to do away with this horse and carriage nonsense and set the animals free. It is such a pitiful sight to watch these poor animals wandering around and around day after day for no reason..

[MIKEinNYC]

10:28 AM on 10/25/2011

The fact of the matter is horses, like all creatures people included, die. Sometimes they die on the job. This is a very rare occurrence. It's not like these horses are worked to death or mistreated. They're not.

[holyghostie]

08:35 PM on 10/25/2011

Set them free? Where would you do that the West Side Highway or the Major Deegan? or Utopia the 6th boro?

[holyghostie]

08:08 PM on 10/24/2011

Dear Animal Rights Activists:
If you ban horses in NY you sign the death sentence of dozens of horses.

[Sheila Richardson]

10:10 PM on 10/24/2011

Not if they go to horse sanctuaries, which do exist.

[holyghostie]

07:24 AM on 10/25/2011

Yeah...if the owners send them there. You can't take them away from their owners because they are licensed and they have been following the city's regulations. The city is VERY STRICT when it comes to these hansom cabs.

Also if you think about almost every Police Horse in the City was adopted from an abusive home or saved from slaughter because they were failed race horses. These Police horses survive in the same Urban environment as the cab horses.....but with a far more dangerous and busy day than the horse-cabs.

Nobody likes to see animals die....but you don't even know the cause of death yet....and you want to ban horses from NY? Seems very shortsighted to me.

[Angfreda]

07:35 PM on 11/07/2011

Who do you propose will pay for these horses to live in a sanctuary? Do you realize what it costs to keep a horse, even the bare basics cost $200-300/month for food, bedding, and other necessities. They need their hooves trimmed every 6 weeks or so, and sometimes they require shoes. And horses natural lives can span 25 and 30 years or more, so if these horses have to be in the sanctuary for, let's say, 10 years x $300+/month... who do you think is going to pay that and how well cared for you do you think the horses will be then? Be VERY careful what you wish for.

[NYCLASS]

04:38 PM on 10/24/2011

Now is the time to push the City Council to act on Intro 86. Please call the City Council members who haven't committed to ending horse abuse yet. There's an easy tool right here:  http://www.ny-class.org/midtowntragedy

[NYCannibal]

12:03 AM on 10/25/2011

Thanks for this info. I for one would much rather ride around Central Park in a replica antique electric car that doesn't promote polluting emissions from either the cars or the horses. My council member is in a coma, but I'll call him anyway.

[rjhuntington]

05:27 AM on 10/25/2011

"My council member is in a coma"

A little unresponsive? lol.

[Lucille]

04:05 PM on 10/24/2011

OMG, poor animal; may it rest in peace.

[Sandra Stipp]

03:55 PM on 10/24/2011

It's time to think about the horses and stop the carriage rides.