Animal activists are protesting the treatment of carriage horses after a carriage horse collapsed in Central Park on February 28. The horse collapsed from a cardiac issue and was “humanely euthanized,” according to Historic Horse-Drawn Carriages of Central Park.

“Instead of calling a qualified vet, to help this horse, several carriage drivers tied him up with ropes, shoved, pulled him into a trailer and they took him back to the stable,” according to Edita Birnkrant, executive director of NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets).

Activists gathered for a protest in the park, according to a tweet from PETA. The protest included a die-in with protesters holding signs that said, “How many more horses have to suffer and die? End this animal abuse!”

Watch the video of the horse collapsing, below:

Marty Irby, executive director of Animal Wellness Action said of the incident in an emailed statement, “Mayor DeBlasio should instruct the NYPD to swiftly investigate this case. At a minimum, the driver’s license should be immediately suspended until an investigation has been completed. Working horses on slippery asphalt for long periods of time without the proper care and nourishment is inexcusable. The animal protection movement in America ignited 150 years ago over the issue of carriage horse abuse, yet the City of New York continues to allow it to persist today. The American people will no longer tolerate these incidents in our modern-day society – this isn’t 1820, it’s 2020.”

New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio promised reform in a tweet, “The video of a horse collapsing and dying in Central Park yesterday is painful and says so much about a persistent problem. We’ve made real progress in animal welfare but we must go further. The NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad is on the case and WILL get answers.”

NYPD Detective Annette Shelton told CNN, “The NYPD’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Squad is investigating this incident and we are awaiting the results of the necropsy.”

Horse-drawn carriages are inhumane and cruel to horses. Horses endure painful, tight bridles and are forced to carry weight of up to 1,800 pounds. Horses endure tiny stables and a future of joint pain and arthritis if they are forced to serve this cruel industry.

Sign this petition to demand an end to the cruel horse carriage industry!

Read more about horse-drawn carriages in One Green Planet:

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