On October 17, Equine Rescue Resource and The Sanctuary at Maple Hill Farms issued a joint news release announcing the death of Ryder, the carriage horse who drew national attention in August when he collapsed on the street in New York City. According to the sanctuary that took Ryder in, the horse was humanely euthanized recently “due to his medical conditions and age.”

Ian McKeever, Ryder’s owner and the driver on the day the horse collapsed, told responding police officers his horse was 13 years old when in actuality, he was 28 to 30 years of age. People who witnessed Ryder’s collapse were horrified to see McKeever repeatedly use his whip in an effort to get him up off of the street. It took an hour to finally get Ryder up on his feet.

Not long after the heartwrenching collapse, Ryder was retired and sent to a farm outside of New York City.

The release outlines the transfer of ownership and the care that Ryder received after leaving McKeever’s custodianship:

Ryder’s NEW OWNER immediately engaged a variety of veterinary professionals and subsequently brought him to the Cornell Equine Hospital (“Cornell”) for further evaluation and treatment where he spent many days. During his time at Cornell, Ryder was cared for by a team of veterinary professionals that have been consistently recognized as world-wide leaders in equine medicine and one of the best equine hospitals in the United States.

While at Cornell, Ryder was diagnosed with a variety of serious medical conditions that led to the decision to humanely euthanize him. “While Ryder is no longer with us, we find some comfort in knowing that Ryder’s NEW OWNER provided him the best possible care, utmost attention and long-needed love that he so deserved. Ryder’s NEW OWNER and many others involved are devastated by his loss,” the Sanctuary stated in the release.

Details about Ryder’s condition are not being released while the investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office continues.