The video is almost too sad to watch. On February 28th, an exhausted carriage horse that had fallen over in the middle of Central Park struggles to regain its footing. As it advances with its forelegs, its back legs drag against the concrete.
It tries again, but to no avail, and finally collapses onto its side. It was yet another tragic end for such a majestic animal. The horse was euthanized shortly afterward.
Enough is enough. Sign to demand New York City bans horse-drawn carriage immediately.While Care2 often shares with you the stories of horses that have collapsed while drawing carriages, this story is a little different. In some cases, the horses recover enough to keep working, a horrible reward for recovering from an avoidable injury.
But in this case, the horse didn't recover and was put down. Perhaps the saddest part of the story is that his handlers didn't even try to get the animal the help it needed.
Instead of calling a vet to check on the equine, the carriage driver, along with several of his colleagues, carelessly threw ropes around him and pushed and pulled him into a trailer where he was then spirited away and put down. "Out of sight, out of mind" was their apparent hope. But let's not let these carriage drivers get away with their negligence and cruelty.
Not only should the Mayor immediately halt carriage rides in NYC, but the drivers should be investigated for animal cruelty, and their licenses should be revoked. Sadly, NYC is one of many American cities that still allow the wholly unnecessary and completely inhumane practice of horse carriage rides to persist despite protests. Throughout the country, from Charlotte to Cleveland, horses are forced to pull tourists — sometimes through extreme conditions like snowstorms, torrential downpours, and heatwaves — all the while unaware of the real cost to the horse. Horses are not meant to walk on concrete all day long, breathing in car exhaust, and the effects on their bodies is often disastrous.
This practice needs to end today. Sign the petition and say no more carriage cruelty. Tell the Mayor of New York City to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC and ask the NYPD to investigate the horse death tragedy of February 28th, 2020.