I think he is actually 28 and the legal age for horses to work until is 26? Thats what Im seeing online.
1 Like
Unless they have registration info, pretty hard to tell if he is 26 or 28, and does not really matter. Either way, at that age, and super thin, and having EPM, no decent horseperson would have had him working.
I have seen the carriage horses in NYC, and have noted that over the years it appears that things have improved. They now seem in good flesh and well-groomed. Ryder seems an anomaly, which makes one wonder if this was a set-up by the anti-carriage horse group.
I do think consideration should be given to tightening up the standards. I think the rule is that the horses need to be off the streets when the temp is 90 degrees. Should be lowerâfor one thing, 90 degrees where it is usually measured is probably higher at black asphalt level.
5 Likes
This is so frustrating. Iâve driven carriage horses - theyâre expected to be in great shape, have good feet and overall health, and my friend who owns a company explicitly states they are never to go faster than a walk. They max out at 5-6 hours âworkingâ. These horses love their job, they stay very fit, and itâs not physically difficult for them - at least not like we ask performance horses.
However, these stories ruin what is a good thing for everyone else. Just like you get barrel racers who whip their untrained horses, or dressage riders doing rollkur - itâs such a pain in the ass to try to do so much right and bring a spot of the equine world to the folks in the city, only to be mucked up by these rotten apples.
4 Likes
Exactly. Itâs like the issues in eventing right now with riders riding above their level, riding horses who arenât ready and making bad choices. Then having GoFundMes to pay for medical bills that get shared far and wide when they inevitably crash and are injured.
Us horse people need to start protecting our interests. We need to start standing up for horses we see who are in bad condition and situations. Better us than the general public.
6 Likes
The carriage horses Iâve seen in New York all looked healthy and in good weight, although one Standardbred I saw looked more like racing fit which would be thin by show horse standards, healthy by my standards. I now wonder if that horse continued to be healthy or if it was on its way to underweight.
The problem seems to be that no one is firmly policing this industry because if poor Ryder has been working for four months now and is 28 years old, someone should have done something weeks or months before he collapsed. The fact that the union rep said he was thin âbecause of his ageâ now convinces me that she knew the horse was very old. Sheâs a horse person and no knowledgeable horse person would say that a 14-year-old horse is going to be weak or unable to work because of its age. She knew his real age and that his advanced age and illness were both problems. If she knew it, I think others in the business knew it too.
The union is not doing itself any favors by defending this situation and the industry is crazy not to have some sort of inspection process or standard. It is dooming itself, which is a shame, because horses and carriage rides can be such a nice thing. I suspect they are on their way out because of this back-breaking straw and although I think it will be a loss to the public and the city, I am not particularly sympathetic.
10 Likes
I found an update!
1 Like
Wow.
I am truly surprised by this, shocked, even. There were a lot of thin horses in that video. I am just so surprised to see that because the drivers/owners have to know they are under intense scrutiny in their business. Forgetting about the actual morality or legality of keeping and working thin horses, you would just think that from a self-interest point of view, a public image point of view, that these owners would do a better job.
6 Likes
Thatâs pretty shocking. I wonder if it is just this stable. There are a few carriage horse stables in the city.
2 Likes
I had read an article a few days ago saying Ryder had been retired AND is undergoing treatment for EPM. Not sure if thatâs really the case or not.
In the late 90s, I boarded a horse for 2 months at a Chicago stable during 2 different summers. They also housed a large carriage biz. It was a 2 story building with an indoor arena that had âliveryâ status since the 1800s. The horses were all huge drafts. If anything they were chubby - definitely not thin! Most of them were greys (Percherons), so ribs or sore bony hips would be super easy to notice, even to the non-equine public. Many were in 10x10 stalls, some were in standing stalls bigger than the ones in the video link. The standing stalls were deeply bedded and I often saw the horses laying down to rest. The aisles were wide and bright. Definitely not like the cramped, dingy building shown! They took turns being loose in the indoor arena overnight, and were also sent out to the companyâs farm outside the city for turnout/pasture âvacationsâ. I went out and saw it for myself, and recognized many of my favorite boys, so it wasnât just a line fed to nosy city folks.
Iâm not going to be able to sleep after seeing this stable in NYC!! 
5 Likes
@Lusoluv I worked at the same place for a couple summers when I was in college in the early 2000s. And yes, those drafts were chubby! And the stalls were normal box stalls. I remember cleaning them 
I remember managing the turnouts in the indoor arena for the riding horses, they usually went out in the arena after we were done for the day, around noon (it was a private stable at this point, no lessons or boarders). At one point he got permission to turn out some of the horses in an empty lot across the street, as well. The stable management had its own problems, but the horses were managed well for urban horses. I distinctly remember how bright the stables felt, even though we were in the city. Nothing like what I saw in this clip.
4 Likes
Hereâs a video from 2018 (I admit I havenât watched all of it, itâs an hour, but just scrolled through quickly as a comparison).
I guess itâs a different stable. All of this, compared with the horses Iâve personally seen pulling carriages, makes me wonder if post-pandemic there was a huge blip in terms of oversight of the industry.
3 Likes
This is not new newsâŠthis video is from 2018âŠ
In July 2022, the NYC city council is introducing another bill to ban the carriages
The comments are interesting.
That begs the question of why a horse in that condition, EPM or not, was pulling a carriage in the first place. Disgraceful.
1 Like
Maybe that assumption they stay down comes from the tendency of many harnessed horses to just kind of give up when they fall in harness, they feel so âboundâ I thnk they feel that they canât get up. Then you take off the harness or unhook it and tell them to get up and they bounce right up if they can. Of course not ALL harnessed horses act like this! This horse though was too thin and out of shape to be doing that work. Theyâd had him 4-6 weeks, I forget exactly now, so he had plenty of time to gain weight and muscle in that time. They should have also noted EPM symptoms in that time if the horse had it so bad he couldnât get up in an hour. The industry does have a lot of regulations but this horse shows that SOMEbody is falling down on their job, not just the horse.
ETA: the stable that video was taken in is a dump! Those stalls are too small, they have very little bedding on concrete, they are still filthy although maybe they clean them when they bring back the horses and soooo many of those horses are too thin. Not fit thin, skinny thin. They seem to be mostly standardbreds too whereas mostly I see Drafters who are not thin so I 'm guessing this stable is at the bottom of the heap as far as care and knowledge.
2 Likes
Update:
You may have heard of Ryder, an NYC carriage horse who fell in the street in mid August. As you may know, we are often called to help horses and owners in distress. Several NYC carriage horses as well as many other working horses have retired with us or found new jobs through us.
We have been working with Ryderâs new owner, a dedicated compassionate horsewoman, since the night of his mishap. Sometimes, with respect to all parties, we cannot say much publicly, and we will be limited (for now) in this case, too.
Ryder loosed his earthly bonds surrounded by those who cared and came to have an inexplicable loving bond with him. Ryder was given world class veterinary care and close attention by an experienced and skilled horsewoman. He could not overcome serious pre-existing conditions and was given a dignified and peaceful passing. He had many days of green grass and sunshine in his final two months.
We cannot change history, but we can be kind and compassionate, look for good solutions, and we can can do our best to encourage improvement.
A copy of the joint press release we sent out this morning is below:
Joint Press Release From:
EQUINE RESCUE RESOURCE, INC.
THE SANCTUARY AT MAPLE HILL FARMS, INC.
UNBRIDLED HEROES PROJECT
For Immediate Release
UPDATE ON RYDER
Equine Rescue Resource, Inc. (âERRâ), The Sanctuary at Maple Hill Farms, Inc. (âSMHâ) and the Unbridled Heroes Project (âUHPâ) have joined in this press release to sadly report that Ryder, the carriage horse that gained national attention after collapsing on the street in NYC on August 10 of this year, was recently humanely euthanized due to his medical conditions and age.
While ERR, SMH and UHP were each actively involved by separately visiting with, consulting and supporting Ryder and his NEW OWNER since he was retired from the NYC carriage horse stables, information was not openly shared due to circumstances surrounding the ongoing investigation by the Manhattan District Attorneyâs office and other factors.
Instead, ERR, SMH and UHP each independently focused on consulting with Ryderâs NEW OWNER to ensure Ryder received the best possible care and treatment. With Ryderâs passing (and the consent of Ryderâs NEW OWNER), ERR, SMH and UHP are now more comfortable sharing some of the facts surrounding his care.
Shortly after his collapse, Ryderâs NEW OWNER took ownership of him from his prior owner at the NYC carriage horse stable and brought him to a farm outside of the City. Ryderâs NEW OWNER immediately engaged a variety of veterinary professionals and subsequently brought him to the Cornell Equine Hospital (âCornellâ) for further evaluation and treatment where he spent many days. During his time at Cornell, Ryder was cared for by a team of veterinary professionals that have been consistently recognized as world-wide leaders in equine medicine and one of the best equine hospitals in the United States (https://www.usnews.com/bestâgraduateâschools/topâhealthâschools/veterinarianârankings).
While at Cornell, Ryder was diagnosed with a variety of serious medical conditions that ultimately required him to be humanely euthanized. Ryder is at Cornell once again where a necropsy is being performed. Details regarding the specific conditions are not being released at this time due to the ongoing investigation by the Manhattan District Attorneyâs office. We anticipate the Manhattan District Attorneyâs office will share additional information as the investigation unfolds. While Ryder is no longer with us, we find some comfort in knowing that Ryderâs NEW OWNER provided him the best possible care, utmost attention and longâneeded love that he so deserved.
Ryderâs NEW OWNER and many others involved are devastated by his loss. While we are all deeply saddened by this news, we are also encouraged by the efforts of so many who were inspired by Ryder to join forces and help him and other animals in need. We urge all those who have been inspired by Ryder to continue your efforts in assuring the health, safety and humane treatment of all animals. ###
About Equine Rescue Resource, Inc. Equine Rescue Resource is a NYS nonprofit 501©3 organization founded in 1999 to help horses in need. Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome horses that have been abused, neglected, abandoned or are slaughter bound. For more information please visit us online at www.equinerescueresource.com
About The Sanctuary at Maple Hill Farms, Inc. The Sanctuary at Maple Hill Farms, is a Maine nonâprofit corporation, tax exempt under IRC 501©(3), organized to provide equine welfare and protection services, helping horses and their owners. We take in homeless and neglected horses, rehabilitate and place them, allowing them to remain in sanctuary, if needed. We also provide allied communityâbased social services. We work with other likeâminded nonâ profit organizations to help provide a more expansive experience, and to create larger opportunities for both horses and people. To learn more about us and ways you can help, please visit: http://maplehillff.org/
About the Unbridled Heroes Project The Unbridled Heroes Project is a Veteran Owned, 501c3 nonâprofit mustang training and rescue facility which provides refuge and rehabilitation from trauma to both the American hero and the American Mustang. 100 percent of all donations go to the running of our facility, and toward the provision of our free wellness programs for military veterans. To learn more about the Unbridled Heroes Project and ways you can help, please visit: https://horseshealheroes.wordpress.com/support
3 Likes
That was a lovely tribute. Thanks for the update, Angela_Freda.
I do have to comment on the report that Ryder was ââŠhumanely euthanized due to his medical conditions and age.â
Was Ryder ever identified so that his true age could be ascertained? He looked like a Standardbred and Iâll bet someone knew exactly who he was.
This whole thing is so sad, but Iâm glad he had some comfort in his final months.
1 Like
If he had a clear racing freeze brand, undoubtedly.
BTW, the main Standardbred registry in the US is no longer requiring freeze branding. Many people think this is so the racehorse rejects can be âdisappearedâ into the Amish world with little likelihood of finding out where they came from. I think theyâre doing microchipping instead, but most auctions donât read microchips on consigned horses. So many STBs are plain bay with few or no white markings, they are nearly impossible to tell apart.
3 Likes
Thoroughbreds are switching to microchips too, and phasing out physical tattoos. I donât think thereâs anything particularly nefarious happening here - itâs progress (a microchip is actually a much more certain form of ID than a blurry/faded tattoo or smudged/imperfect freeze brand). And it was always intended to identify horses on the track for racing purposes, not afterward. I donât know any auction houses that check tattoos or freeze brands either. Rescue groups do, and some seem to be getting their own microchip scanners.
3 Likes
But at least a freeze brand is a visible reminder that âthis horse was important to someone at some point.â
An acquaintance in the Morgan world is having her horses branded, after a ranch-bred Morganâs brand was recognized at a low end auction and he was saved based on having an identity. This includes her show horses, and sheâs caught some flack for âblemishingâ them.
5 Likes
Iâm actually acquainted with one of the entities involved, so Iâll ask.
2 Likes
