Activists To Hold Vigil For Carriage Horse That Died In Park

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Animal rights activists will hold a candlelight vigil in Central Park on Thursday night to mourn the loss of a carriage horse that was filmed collapsing several times in the park before being euthanized this weekend, the group New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets announced.

The vigil will be held on Fifth Avenue and West 59th Street around 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Video of the 12-year-old mare Aisha collapsing that was posted to social media over the weekend drew strong reactions from activists and New York City politicians. Both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Corey Johnson called for investigations into Aisha's death.

De Blasio doubled down on his critique of the carriage industry in a Monday evening tweet that suggests the mayor favors banning the industry. De Blasio campaigned on ending the carriage industry during his 2013 run for mayor, but has yet to deliver more than halfway into his second term.

"Watching video of the dying carriage horse again, disgusted this is happening in our city. Why are these poor animals still being forced to work on the streets of America’s largest city so a few humans can profit? This needs to end. When laws condone the inhumane, change them!" de Blasio tweeted.

A spokesperson for the carriage industry disputed statements made by animal rights groups that Aisha was mistreated, and said the cause of the horse's death was a medical emergency.

"Medical emergencies can happen to the healthiest horses, receiving the best, highly-regulated care. Thankfully, *because* she was a NYC carriage horse, this horse was able to receive immediate attention from expert equine veterinarians, her owner and drivers, and our compassionate stable staff. Unfortunately, despite doing everything we could for this horse, we did not get the outcome we hoped for, and are left wondering what happened," Christina Hansen said in a statement.

Aisha began showing signs of distress around 12:30 p.m. Saturday after completing one ride and then waiting for about an hour-and-a-half, Hansen said. Because the horse was unable to stand, she was slid into an emergency trailer and transported back to the 52nd Street stables where she was inspected by a vet. When Aisha showed no signs of improvement, owners and vets decided to euthanize her, the carriage industry spokesperson said.