Tourist tradition under fire as carriage driver faces cruelty charge
By: | Published: 2025-07-19 04:55:00 | Source: atlanticcitynews.net
NEW YORK CITY, New York: A New York City carriage driver went on trial this week in a case that has reignited long-standing tensions over the city’s iconic but controversial horse-drawn carriages.
Ian McKeever, 56, is facing a misdemeanor animal cruelty charge after his horse, Ryder, collapsed in Manhattan during a sweltering August afternoon in 2022. Prosecutors allege McKeever continued to work Ryder in 84-degree (29 degrees Centigrade) heat despite visible signs of exhaustion, ultimately pushing the horse past its limits.
“The defendant chose to press on, business as usual, and overwork Ryder,” prosecutor Taylor Maurer told jurors in her opening remarks. Ryder survived the fall but was euthanized months later due to ongoing health issues.
McKeever, who has worked as a…
