Central Park, New York - Yesterday a white Percheron horse pulling a carriage with four passengers stumbled and fell as he walked along Grand Army Plaza at 59th Street and 5th Avenue. According to the ASPCA there were no injuries - neither human nor horse.

And again here is where the contentious issue continues. Advocacy groups called Win Animal Rights and New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS) contend the city carriage horses are overworked and the carriage owners just want to maximize their profits during the busy holiday season. Mary Xanthos, of Win Animal Rights was clearly very upset when she saw the horse lying on the pavement and videoed the incident including the horse getting back on his feet.

The Horse and Carriage Association of New York defended the industry and denied the horse was overworked.

"No horse collapsed. It caught its toe in the pavement, which is quite common," stated Stephen Malone. "The carriage industry in New York City is such a public institution that a horse can sneeze funny and some activist is in our faces with a camera to post footage to YouTube."At the scene the driver unhooked the carriage and untangled the horse. As part of their training, horses are taught to lie still until told to rise in order to minimize the risk of injury should a situation like this occur, and that is exactly how the horse acted. Bystanders clapped as the horse rose to his feet and was led back to the stable.

The horse was reported to be doing fine after having been inspected by the ASPCA, however until the examination is complete, the horse will be off-duty.

Meanwhile the Win Animal Rights group continues to push for the passage of Intro 86A which will replace the horses with electric powered vehicles.

For sure, it's a battle.