The Gentle Barn, a non-profit animal sanctuary, has announced that it will open a new fifth location in Westchester County, New York. The announcement comes after the death of the New York City carriage horse, Ryder. The new Westchester County facility will offer humane retirement for NYC’s carriage horses.

Source: gentlebarn/Youtube

The Gentle Barn currently has locations in California, Missouri, and Tennessee, and the plans for the New York facility have been expedited following the tragic story of Ryder. Ryder was a 26-year-old carriage horse in New York who collapsed this summer on an extremely hot day in the city. He was found to be completely malnourished, and videos went viral of Ryder being whipped in an effort to get him to stand up and get back to work.

The Gentle Barn reportedly reached out to take Ryder and provide him with sanctuary for the rest of his life, but the organization was met with resistance and finally was given the news of his euthanization.

“It is only a matter of time before the next horse falls,” Gentle Barn Co-Founder Jay Weiner said. “We must act now by getting old and injured horses to a safe space where they can be rehabbed and live their best lives, and in the long term, we must replace horse-drawn carriages with electric ones.”

The new sanctuary in New York will become a quiet and peaceful haven for horses and visitors while we work on passing legislation to finally get these poor horses out of this forced labor.

“While we work toward the transition to electric carriages – the ideal solution for the horses, the drivers, the environment and New York City tourism – we can offer the horses a humane and loving retirement plan,” said Weiner. “At our new facility, we are prepared to mitigate the uncertain fate and less than healthy conditions that carriage horses face while also giving horse owners a new option and encouraging compliance with retirement age rules.”

The sanctuary will be home to other rescued animals as well, including cows, pigs, and turkeys. The Gentle Barn says that the animals will be treated with high-quality medical treatments, organic hay and feed, soft bedding, dental work, acupuncture, massage therapy, nutritional supplements, and around-the-clock care.

To learn more about The Gentle Barn and its mission, check out its website at www.gentlebarn.org and consider making a donation if you can.

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