Animal rights groups, including PETA and New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets, intensified their campaign against New York City’s horse-drawn carriage industry following the acquittal of driver Ian McKeever on animal cruelty charges. McKeever was accused of neglect after his horse, Ryder, collapsed while working in Manhattan in 2022 and was later euthanized. Advocates argue that Ryder, a 26-year-old horse suffering from leukemia, was overworked and that the city’s animal cruelty laws and licensing processes are inadequate, especially since Ryder’s true age was allegedly concealed through falsified veterinary records by the horse’s owner.
City Councilmembers Bob Holden and Erik Bottcher joined the rally, calling for a hearing on Holden’s proposed Ryder’s Law, which aims to ban horse carriages in the city. The Department of Health has issued fines to Ryder’s owner for submitting false information, and the city claims it is committed to animal safety, requiring veterinary certification for horses to work. However, activists maintain that systemic failures allowed Ryder to be licensed despite his illness, and they continue to push for legislative changes to end what they describe as a cruel and outdated industry.
