A New York City carriage horse died earlier this week at a Midtown stable, reigniting controversy between activists who deem the industry abusive to animals and the carriage drivers who say they love their horses and are just doing an honest day’s work.
The 17-year-old horse, Black Jack, passed away earlier this week after suffering from colic, an abdominal condition that commonly afflicts horses, a spokesperson for the Transport Workers Union Local 100, the union representing Central Park carriage drivers, confirmed to amNewYork Metro.
The union says stable staff noticed Black Jack was exhibiting signs of colic and started administering medication and consulting with veterinarians, with the intent of transporting him off-site for care, but the horse died before its vet could show up.
“The owners and driver of Black Jack and our stablemen, who all cared for him and tried to save him, are still in shock and are mourning,” said Christina Hansen, a carriage driver and shop steward at TWU Local 100. “It happened so quickly. Hug your loved ones, whether they have two legs or four.”
Colic is the leading cause of premature death among horses. The American Horse Council estimates about 10% of American horses suffer from colic each year, and 0.7% of them die, equating to about 64,000 horses.
New York City’s carriage horses, like others, are not immune to fatal colic episodes: a Belgian draft horse named Billy died from colic in his Manhattan stall during a heat wave last summer, and five horses died of colic between 2019 and 2021, according to Health Department records shared with amNewYork Metro.
The majority of carriage horses die after retirement, which occurs upon reaching age 26 or being deemed not healthy enough to work, said Hansen, and they often leave the city at that point or move into less intensive horse occupations like trail riding or therapy.
But animal rights activists posit that Black Jack’s death is just the latest example of fatal…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply