News Notes

Carriage Driver Not Guilty in NYC Abuse Case

By Adam Marcus

A 57-year-old man in New York City was found not guilty of charges that he abused a horse in a widely publicized incident.

Ian McKeever had been accused of overdriving, torturing and injuring the animal, named Ryder, which collapsed on August 10, 2022, after a long day of work in the heat—the first time a carriage driver had been charged with such abuse in New York City.

The death, which was captured on video, spurred protests against carriage rides in the city and led to proposed legislation to replace horse-drawn carriages with electric vehicles.

Ryder remained on the pavement for roughly an hour, where he was cooled by New York City police officers. He eventually was able to stand and walk back to his stable.

The horse initially was thought to have a neurologic condition, possibly linked to eating feed contaminated with opossum droppings, according to news reports. However, after the animal was euthanized in October 2022, postmortem examination found that it had been suffering from metastatic cancer and T-cell leukemia.

Prosecutors claimed Mr. McKeever had pushed Ryder too hard, and that the animal’s then-unknown health problems—while a contributing factor—did not lead to its collapse.

But jurors agreed with McKeever’s testimony that he had acted properly in the episode.

Ryder was pulling the carriage through the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan on its way back to its home stable when the horse fell. At the time, temperatures in the region had peaked at roughly 87° F, according to weather records. New York City regulations prohibit horses from working when the temperature reaches 90° F, or when the temperature is 80° F or greater and the equine heat index is 150 or above.

In a statement provided to Modern Equine Vet by the Transport Workers Union, Local 100, which includes carriage drivers in New York City, Christina Hansen, a driver and union shop steward, stated: “We will only accept humane care for all carriage horses, including proper medical care and treatment. Since this incident, the union has implemented several significant reforms and enhancements, including ongoing consultation with a nationally recognized equine veterinarian, immediate access to an equine hospital, and greater oversight.”

Peter Donohue, the senior director of communications for the union, identified the veterinary consultant as Gabriel Cook, DVM, DAVCS, of New England Equine Practice, in Patterson, N.Y.
Mr. Donohue dismissed claims Ryder was overworked on the day the animal collapsed, saying it had given only 2 rides during its shift, spending the rest of the hours standing. He also said the horse was not denied feed.

The case did reveal a discrepancy about Ryder’s age. According to Mr. Dohohue, the bill of sale for the horse listed its age as 13 at the time, which would have made it 14 when the incident occurred. However, subsequent analysis put its age at 26, the mandatory retirement age for carriage service in New York City.

While the AAEP supports using equids in urban environments, including for tourist carriages, the organization said that care should be taken to assure their safety and well-being. “All working equids should have access to fresh water and should be staged in areas which provide shelter from adverse weather conditions. The AAEP encourages research into the effects of weather conditions on working equids in urban environments.

“Provisions concerning work hours, workloads and living conditions, healthcare, footcare, nutrition, and standards of driver training should be prepared for each jurisdiction with the assistance of an equine veterinarian familiar with local conditions,” the AAEP said in its statement.

Part of this care should include regular examination and care by an equine veterinarian who is familiar with the local conditions. MeV