The cause of death of Lady, the carriage horse that collapsed and died on a Manhattan street Tuesday afternoon, was revealed to be a small tumor that formed in a deadly spot.
The 15-year-old Standardbred cross horse died due to a “silent killer” small tumor in her adrenal gland that likely caused an aortic rupture, Transport Workers Union Local 100 reported. The necropsy was performed Wednesday by a pathologist at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, according to reports.
“This was a tragic and sad loss, and we are all mourning Lady’s death. However, at least we now have some answers. This sudden-death medical episode would kill a horse anywhere — in a field, park, stable, trail or street — at any time,” carriage driver Christina Hansen, who is also the TWU shop steward and spokesperson for the carriage drivers, said in a statement to W42St.nyc.
But the finding was no consolation to animal-rights activists, who freshly condemned New York City’s carriage horse industry after Lady’s death.
“This horse’s tumor didn’t develop overnight, but instead of receiving proper medical care, which could have detected the tumor and possibly prevented her death, she was forced to haul heavy carriages while breathing pollutant-filled air in a highly stressful environment that likely exacerbated her poor health,” Ashley Byrne, director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said.
After Lady arrived in New York City in June, no abnormalities were found in her when a complete physical was conducted, according to Hansen.
Lady was on her way back from a brief stint of ferrying tourists in Central Park to her stable when she suddenly collapsed on Wednesday around 2:28 p.m. near W. 51St. and 11th Ave. in Hell’s Kitchen, officials said.
Officers responding to the scene found the equine unresponsive on the ground, and helped transport her to the Clinton Park Stables on W. 52nd St., a block from where she collapsed.
After the latest heartrending horse carriage incident, activists and some Big Apple officials renewed their calls to outlaw the industry.
“This is the same tragic pattern we’ve seen with countless other horses — Ryder, Aysha, Charlie — all gravely ill, all declared ‘fit for work,’ and all who collapsed and died,” said Edita Birnkrant, executive director of New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets (NYCLASS). “Many others perish out of sight in their deplorable stalls. Countless more suffer silently with every step from preexisting, untreated injuries and lameness. This cruelty is enabled by negligent carriage owners, corrupt industry-paid veterinarians, and a City that refuses to act. The spin is nonsense. The suffering is real.”
Brinkrant further added that the initial necropsy results “are not final.”
Lady’s death in her harness comes after a Manhattan jury last month acquitted New York City carriage driver Ian McKeever, who had been accused of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals stemming from the fatal collapse of a horse named Ryder at W. 45th St. near Ninth Ave. on Aug. 10, 2022.
“Lady’s horrific and preventable death reminds every animal lover why banning the use of horse carriages in the Big Apple is a must,” said state Assemblywoman Linda B. Rosenthal. “As we saw with Ryder, and now with Lady, horses are being pushed to the point of collapse. How many horses must die on our streets, in the midst of cars, bikes, motorcycles and pedestrians, and subjected to dangerous working conditions, before we say enough is enough? It is high time for New York City to follow the lead of Chicago and other major cities by prohibiting this inhumane and unnecessary practice.”
NYCLASS and PETA held a rally on Thursday outside the Clinton Park Stables to protest the horse carriage industry. They were joined by City Councilmen Eric Bottcher, Christopher Marte and Robert Holden — the sponsor or Ryder’s Law, which would ban carriage horses in the city — and Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa.
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