A horse pulling a carriage in Central Park in New York City is a long-established tradition. However, on Tuesday evening at about 7:30 p.m., something deeply distressing and out of the ordinary happened to a horse doing just that. The unfortunate beast abruptly fell to the ground and died mere minutes later, per the New York Post. Spectators were aghast at the animal's sudden, apparently shocking demise. The horse was reportedly "struggling and thrashing on the ground with its tongue hanging out" before its death about 10 minutes after.
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The incident took place near 72nd Street and West Drive within the fabled park. It's not certain whether people were aboard the carriage when the horse collapsed. Facts about the horse, such as its age and cause of death, are not clear at this time.
Witnesses Were Very Disturbed by What They Saw
The sad episode was unsettling for those who watched it. Some of them embraced in an effort to comfort each other, the outlet stated. For some, it will be an indelible painful memory. "That horse, without a doubt, had an agonizing death right in front of everyone. People will never forget seeing that happen," said Executive Director Edita Birnkrant of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets.
She added, "Every few months there's a horrific incident ... We can't have this happening in the park, whether it's horses dropping dead or being worked while sick or injured, or running wild."
Furthermore, Birnkrant noted, "This is a disgrace that this is still happening, that we are letting the city council, the mayor, is letting these horses be worked to death. Horses can collapse at any moment, they can spook at any moment. We can't have them maneuvering through Manhattan, Midtown traffic day and night through the increasingly congested and busy park. This is enough."
There Was Another Disturbing Incident Recently Involving a Horse-Drawn Carriage
According to the Post, another unseemly incident took place not long ago in Central Park. It also involved a horse-drawn carriage. Apparently, a horse pulling a carriage got unruly and crashed into a second carriage. It turned over and the coachman got hurt.
Animal Rights Activists Are Urging Action
The death of this horse adds urgency to a cause championed by animal rights activists - outlawing horse-drawn carriages. As the outlet pointed out, the horse's passing came less than a day before a scheduled rally at City Hall in favor of a law that would end New York's practice of house-drawn carriages.
That proposed law is slated to be brought before City Council on Thursday, June 11. It is called Ryder's Law in honor of a carriage horse by that name who died months after working on a hot summer day four years ago.
