Overview

• On August 5, the NYPD responded to a 911 call at West 51st Street and 11th Avenue after a 14-year-old carriage horse named Lady collapsed and was pronounced dead.
• Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, and no arrests have been made.
• City regulations require horses to stop work when temperatures reach 90°F (32°C) or when an Equine Heat Index hits 150 or above, but critics say those rules have not been properly enforced.
• NYCLASS and Voters for Animal Rights labeled the death "the result of a failed system" and demanded a hearing alongside the passage of Ryder’s Law.
• The incident follows the recent acquittal of carriage driver Ian McKeever on animal cruelty charges stemming from a 2022 horse collapse, reigniting debates over industry safety and ethics.