Another carriage horse collapsed in Midtown yesterday around 6 p.m. on West 60th Street near Broadway. A supporter of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets shot a video clip of the horse on the ground.
According to the Daily News, the horse was on the ground for 15 minutes, but it's unclear what happened to the horse afterwards. "This really incapsulates the inhumanity of it all," NYCLASS' director says. The NYPD tells us they fielded no reports concerning a sick or injured horse yesterday.
Two weeks ago today, a carriage horse named Charlie collapsed and died in Midtown. Later, a preliminary necropsy showed that Charlie was suffering from a cracked tooth and a painful stomach ulcer. According to Dr. Pamela Corey of the ASPCA, draft horses are "by nature a stoic breed" and don't display signs of discomfort or pain until they are critical. Mayor Bloomberg has maintained that these horses "probably wouldn't be alive if they didn't have a job," and called the carriage horse industry "part of New York's heritage." The New York Times agrees.
Update: The ASPCA tells us that they are investigating the incident and that the horse "has been suspended pending a veterinary exam and won't return to work until the exam is completed." Elizabeth Forel, president of the Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn Carriages says, "This new incident was both shocking and tragic. It is also the sixth "horse-down" accident involving carriage horses since July and the second in less than two weeks...Enough is enough."
Update 2: The ASPCA tells us the horse's name is Luke, and that he's been examined and cleared to work. The vet "concluded he appears bright, alert and responsive. Luke is now permitted to work regular hours, however he will not work today." According to the agency, Luke fell yesterday after becoming entangled in his harness on the way home to the stables.
By Christopher Robbins