A carriage horse died in Central Park Tuesday evening after an apparent medical episode, according to police — bringing new attention to animal rights’ advocates push for a long-debated law to ban horse-drawn carriages.
NYPD officials said the 16-year-old spotted draft horse named Deniz was giving a ride to two people when he died around 7:30 p.m. Officers spoke with the carriage driver, who told them the horse had a medical emergency.
Police said there did not appear to be any criminality involved in the incident, and added that the city’s Department of Health would perform a necropsy to see why Deniz died.
New York City Council Member Christopher Marte and Voters for Animal Rights President Julie Cappiello issued a joint statement promising to introduce Ryder’s Law, a bill that would end the carriage horse industry and transition drivers to other jobs, but that failed to advance after a committee vote last year despite the support of 22 sponsors The measure was drafted after a horse named Ryder collapsed on a Manhattan street. He was retired to a private farm outside the city, but was euthanized several months later.
“The death of Deniz 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,” Marte and Cappiello said. “Tonight’s tragedy was heartbreaking — but future tragedies are preventable.”
They said a planned rally for Wednesday on the steps of City Hall would continue as well.
TWU Local 100, the union that represents carriage drivers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The union has long opposed Ryder’s Law, saying that it would be open to additional regulations but opposing an outright ban. The group has repeatedly said that carriage horses are not mistreated, and described them as an iconic part of New York culture.
The average life span of a draft horse — the heavy-boned breed usually used to pull carriages — is about 20-25 years.
