The exhausted horse lying on the streets of New York causing a stir on social networks in August has passed away. The sanctuary confirmed his death.
Ryder the horse was “recently euthanized due to his medical conditions and age.” The Sanctuary at Maple Hill Farms stated in a joint statement released with other charities on Monday.
After being taken in by the sanctuary, Ryder was reportedly sent to a farm in the New York metropolitan area. According to the sanctuary, his new owner took him to a number of different doctors before ultimately bringing him to the Cornell Equine Hospital in Elmont, New York. And he “spent many days” in there.
According to the organization, he had been diagnosed with “severe medical issues” that made it necessary for him to be euthanized. The autopsy on him is currently being carried out at Cornell University.
The sanctuary stated: “While Ryder is no longer with us, we find some comfort in knowing that Ryder’s NEW OWNER provided him the best possible care, utmost attention and long-needed love that he so deserved. Ryder’s NEW OWNER and many others involved are devastated by his loss.”
The Transport Workers Union Local 100, which represents the city’s 300 horse-carriage drivers and owners, including Ryder’s former driver, revealed on Tuesday that the horse’s new owner informed that the horse was believed to have had cancer. This information was provided to CBS News in a statement.
They said: “Ryder appeared in good health in April when he arrived in the city and passed a mandatory physical exam. He then lost weight rapidly during the late summer. He should have been sidelined then and checked by an equine veterinarian.”
In the month of August, footage that were shared on social media showed police officers dousing Ryder with water while he was lying on the ground in the middle of a busy roadway in Manhattan at rush hour. In one of the videos, a carriage driver can be seen hitting Ryder with a smack and then beating the horse with the reins.
The passing of Ryder rekindled the efforts from animal rights organizations in New York City to outlaw the use of horse carriages.