A 16-year-old carriage horse collapsed and died on Tuesday evening in Central Park NYC police reported.
The death of the male horse named Deniz quickly escalated the ongoing battle to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City. A spokesperson for Local 100 who is also a carriage driver, stated that Deniz had worked in the city for about ten years. The horse had been pronounced fit to work after his most recent examination in March during his most recent examination by the veterinarian for the Police Department’s Mounted Unit.
According to Voters for Animal Rights, Council Member Christopher Marte will reintroduce Ryder’s Law, legislation in New York City slated to remove horse drawn carriages and create a safer, more human future for horses.
The death of a carriage horse in Central Park tonight is a heartbreaking reminder that this system no longer works — not for horses, and not for the workers whose livelihoods depend on an industry facing an uncertain future.
Horses are living beings who deserve dignity and compassion. They should not be forced to navigate the noise, traffic and demands of New York City streets.
The last death of a carriage horse prior to Deniz’s death was Lady, a 15-year-old mare, who had been working in Central Park for less than two months when she collapsed and died at a Manhattan intersection. A necropsy later revealed she succumbed to a thoracic aortic rupture and an adrenal tumor.
Deniz is scheduled to be taken to Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine for a full necropsy.
As for the future of carriage horses, Mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned that he favored stopping horse carriages but wants to find a resolution that also will satisfy the union.
Rest in peace Deniz.
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