Ryder, the carriage horse seen on viral videos across social media collapsing on a Manhattan street, has renewed calls for a ban on horse-drawn carriage horses in the city, Fortunately for Ryder, he has now been retired to a private farm in upstate New York.
According to Pix11News, in the two weeks since the horse collapsed along a Hell’s Kitchen street, Ryder has been turned over to his new owners who are making sure the horse is beginning treatment for EPM, (Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis), a parasitic infection. The condition, believed to be caused by possum droppings, caused Ryder to stumble and fall. Once he had fallen, the horse had a difficult time getting back on his feet and suffered leg abrasions, a cut on his neck and bruises on his knees.
The Transport Workers Union, that represents horse carriage drivers, stated Ryder is being administered a course of antibiotics and will be receiving further veterinarian care.
Although the horse was thought to be 13-years-old, documentation has proven the horse is really 26-years-old which is too old to be licensed as a carriage horse in New York City. He had previously been owned by a Pennsylvania farmer and used as a buggy horse.
The viral video showed the driver hit Ryder with a small whip to get the horse back on his feet, but when that didn’t work, the New York Police Department doused him with water and ice – thinking the horse had overheated from the rising temperatures. Eventually, the horse was able to stand up again and walked back to the stable.
The Transport Workers Union is promoting better safety protocol to insure the condition of the carriage horses. Horses will receive bi-weekly medical checks of their hearts, and a committee will be intervening on health and safety matters for the protection of the horses.
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