Another Abused Carriage Horse

The ASPCA is conducting an investigation into the death of a carriage horse that collapsed and died Sunday morning on West 54th Street near Eighth Avenue in Midtown. The horse was heading towards Central Park when at around 9:30AM it collapsed.
The death has triggered animal rights activists to condemn the use of carriage horses in the city. The ASPCA said in a statement:

We at the ASPCA express our sadness and concern at this tragic incident. The life of a carriage horse on New York City streets is extremely difficult and life threatening, and the ASPCA has long believed that carriage horses were never meant to live and work in today’s urban setting.

Despite claims from the industry that the horses are well cared for animal advocates have repeatedly insisted that such measures are not enough. New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio suggested the city catch up to other major cities and ban the industry.

London, Paris, Las Vegas, Toronto and Beijing  (that’s China) — New York City’s chief rivals for tourism — have all banned horse-drawn carriages in recent years, and with good reason. Our city’s carriage horses work strenuous hours throughout the week and unlike the horses that plied the park a hundred years ago, today’s horses travel on hard asphalt roads that wear down and damage their feet.