Via NEWS RELEASE | Sept. 9th, 2022

Concerns Extend to Treatment of 160 NYC Carriage Horses and Suspicions of Illegality, Document Fraud

Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy have called on the Manhattan (New York) District Attorney’s office to investigate the collapse of Ryder, the working carriage horse whose collapse on a New York City street on August 10, 2022, elicited gasps across the globe.

Images and video of the stricken horse — on his side in the road, whipped by his driver and eventually hosed down to revive him — quickly became viral and drew fresh, stark attention to the plight of carriage horses everywhere. Advocates and animal-lovers are showcasing the incident to push for passage of NYC legislation that would ban the antiquated frivolousness that subjects horses to harsh and almost always unsafe conditions for the sake of brief tourist rides downtown.

“D.A. Bragg should take a very close look at the recklessness of Ryder’s owner in overworking a sick, ailing, malnourished horse.”

The groups sent two letters to District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which were signed by their National Law Enforcement Council. Bragg’s jurisdiction includes the potential animal cruelty case of Ryder. Written and signed by council co-chairs Josh Marquis, D.A. of Clatsop County (Oregon) from 1994-2018, and Drew Edmondson, Oklahoma Attorney General from 1995-2011, the correspondence strongly encourages Bragg to use the power of his office to initiate an “energetic investigation” of what happened to Ryder.

Legal experts with the groups say the details of what happened to Ryder suggest not only possible animal cruelty offenses, but also potential crime(s) involving fraudulent documentation. The incident involving Ryder – and multiple other horses this summer – creates serious concerns for animal welfare, tourism, and government accountability.

The authors point out that it was in New York where concerned citizens worked to form the first anti-cruelty organization in the United States in 1866 , when it focused on the overwork and abuse of horses tasked with moving heavy loads on early urban streets.

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More News

• Carriage horse was ‘in distress’ hours before collapsing on NYC street: witness, New York Post, 15th August, 2022 »

• ‘Ryder deserves better’: Queens councilman joins activists in calling for criminal abuse charges against horse carriage driver, QNS, 16th August, 2022 »

• Carriage horse Ryder quietly taken out of city, AM New York, 17th August, 2022 »

• Home free? Animal rights group locates carriage horse Ryder, but says his farm isn’t a sanctuary, AM New York, 30th August, 2022»

• Poll: 71% of New Yorkers want horse carriages banned following Ryder’s collapse, New York Post, 2nd September, 2022 »