Extreme heat also puts the animals to a hard test, especially if they have to do physical exertion for a long time. This Wednesday, August 10th, a tourist carriage horse in New York (USA) paid the price. Ryder, 14, fell ill in midtown Manhattan late afternoon. It was around 31°C that day.
NYPD officers were filmed watering the visibly distraught horse, as seen in the video above. Police also poured buckets of ice over the animal to cool its body temperature. According to local police, it took at least 45 minutes for Ryder to get back on his feet. All this time the animal remained on the asphalt in a state of distress.
According to multiple local media outlets, before authorities arrived, the driver of the carriage ordered the animal in poor condition to get up, slapped it on the side and forced it to prop itself up on its legs. A scene that outraged many witnesses present on the street.
The NYPD said the incident was brought to the attention of animal welfare services under standard procedure.