"Stop slapping him!": Carriage horse collapses in busy street
<p dir="ltr">The horrifying moment a carriage horse breaks down in the middle of a busy New York City street has angered animal activists.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Heartbreaking footage shows the horse's knees buckling, possibly due to the weight of the carriage it's been pulling all day in the heat, when it fell to the ground. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The driver could be seen shouting multiple times at the horse, known as Ryder, to “get up” and slapping it to get up. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“What if I slapped you around like that, bro?” one person can be heard saying. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“Stop slapping him,” another woman called out.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I’m trying to get him up, alright,” the driver said, as he once again whipped the horse with the reins.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The driver then removed the carriage with the help of an onlooker as police arrived and sprayed Ryder with water. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Ryder then attempted to get up several times but failed until an adrenaline shot was administered.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BREAKING: This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour.</p>
<p>Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more. <a href="https://t.co/vXBVRJRjPB">pic.twitter.com/vXBVRJRjPB</a></p>
<p>— PETA (@peta) <a href="https://twitter.com/peta/status/1557504250359361537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">After an hour or so, the horse was back on its feet and was taken to an unknown location to be looked at. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Tony Utano, President of Transport Workers Union Local 100 slammed those who attacked the driver for jumping to conclusions saying the horse, Ryder, was suffering from EPM. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“We thank everyone for their concern about Ryder, one of the beloved Central Park carriage horses,” he said. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“This is another example why people shouldn't rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">However, this did not stop animal rights group PETA from calling out the practice, which constantly puts horses in danger.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“This horse COLLAPSED while pulling a carriage in NYC, likely from heat exhaustion, and has been down for over an hour,” PETA wrote. </p>
<p dir="ltr">“Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Many other supporters have called for the ban of carriage horses to be replaced with electric vehicles. </p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>
