Bella Hadid has encouraged her followers to end carriage horse abuse following the collapse of a carriage horse in New York City.
In a recent Instagram post, the 25-year-old supermodel shared photos of the horse, Ryder, while it was collapsed on the street, and screenshots of an article about him.
She also shared an image that reads: “Take action to end carriage horse abuse with one call/email.”
She tagged multiple New York City Instagram accounts, including mayor Eric Adams and the NYC council in the caption, and asked them to “phase out cruel carriage horses” and “protect them while it’s still here”.
Hadid also acknowledged that she hopes the horses will one day be replaced by “a humane & electric alternative”.
Hadid went on to show her support for Ryder by asking the Manhattan district attorney and the New York police department to do an investigation on the horse’s owner, Ian McKever, who was driving the carriage when the animal fell.
“This has been going on for WAY too long in this kind of environment,” she wrote. “Another sick, malnourished carriage horse collapsed in distress on the hot pavement of New York City while his driver whipped him repeatedly.”
“We are also calling on the Manhattan District Attorney & the NYPD to investigate criminal animal abuse charges against Ian Mckeever for his abusive behaviour,” Hadid continued. “Ryder needs immediate help and to be released from his abuser.”
She concluded the post by expressing how “barbaric” it is that horses have to “pull” large carriages through NYC and specifically called out Mayor Adams.
“It’s barbaric to force horses like Ryder to pull heavy carriages in extreme heat in the busiest part of the busiest city in America without a place to break or eat,” Hadid wrote. “We have to do something now. This should have been done years ago. Eric Adams, The world is watching!! Please do what is right for these animals. Take action.”
Hadid then included a link to NYClass Act, a non-profit organisation with the “core mission of saving NYC carriage horses, enacting animal rights legislation into law, and electing pro-animal candidates to office”.
Ryder collapsed and buckled at the knees on 10 August in midtown Manhattan, at 45 St and 9th Avenue. Videos online showed the carriage driver yelling at the animal and slapping his back. The owner also appeared to be pulling on the horse’s reins, even though onlookers told him to stop.
Following the incident, Tony Utano, president of the local Transport Workers Union, which represents carriage drivers in New York, gave an update on Ryder’s condition.
“The veterinarian believes Ryder has EPM, a neurological disease caused by possum droppings,” he said. “This is another example why people shouldn’t rush to judgement about our horses or the blue-collar men and women who choose to work with them and care for them.”
Multiple animal rights charities, including non-profit organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), have also spoken out about ending carriage horse abuse.
“Horses don’t belong in big cities where they’re put in constant danger because of cars, humans, weather, and more,” PETA said.
