New York City Carriage Horse Collapses as Driver Screams and Whips It

On Wednesday (Aug. 10), a carriage horse collapsed in New York City due to extreme heat. Its driver reportedly screamed at and whipped it before NYPD arrived.

Ryder the horse collapsed in the middle of a busy road in Manhattan around 5PM ET Wednesday. NYPD Mounted Officers responded to the incident.

Horrifying videos of the carriage horse collapsing near New York City's Ninth Avenue and 45th Street went viral following the incident. Bystanders took videos of the driver, Ian McKeever, whipping the downed horse, roughly pulling at its bit and slapping the animal while yelling at it.

"Get up! Come on! Get up! Get up!" McKeever yells in one video as the horse lowers its head to the ground.

Footage reveals the horse appeared visibly malnourished and exhausted by the summer heat.

When NYPD Mounted Officers arrived, they used a water hose to cool the horse down before it was transported for veterinary care. According to ABC7 New York, the horse was alert as of Wednesday evening.

Warning: Video may disturb some sensitive viewers.

"The NYPD takes the health and well-being of our four legged friends in New York City very seriously, and are glad that our trained equestrian officers were able to assist," officers told PEOPLE.

After examination from a vet, Christina Hansen, a carriage driver union representative, told NBC New York that Ryder's preliminary diagnosis was Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), a neurological infection caused by possum droppings.

The results of the blood test have not yet confirmed the diagnosis, but Ryder appeared to be on the mend as the horse ate hay and carrots at a local stable, according to the Transport Workers Union.

The incident sparked backlash as videos of the abuse circulated online, with many people calling for horse-drawn carriages to be banned in New York City.

"Times Square NYC horse collapsed from heat exhaustion after working in 90 [degree] heat all day. She’s already malnourished to begin with. Stop supporting carriage rides. Stop supporting animal abuse," one Twitter user, who posted one of the videos with over 800,000 views, wrote in a tweet.

Voters For Animal Rights on Twitter called the incident "absolutely horrifying." The organization also called the driver out after the incident, writing, "Oh the irony. The carriage horse driver is exhausted after after having to pull his carriage back to the stable after nearly killing his horse yesterday."

On Twitter, one person shared a thread of information about horses, heat exhaustion ad malnutrition:

"Short version ... Horse is very thin. Heat was brutal. Urging horse to try to rise is critical. Underlying disease may have caused collapse. Bottom line. Shouldn’t have been working. We can HELP!!!"

Meanwhile, NYCLASS, an organization specifically dedicated to ending carriage horse abuse, called for legislation, writing, "@NYCCouncil @NYCSpeakerAdams @NYCMayor ... The world is watching. This horse may die, like many others. We must pass Intro 573 to end this abuse!"

PETA and other organizations have also called for the ban of carriage horses.