NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Supermodel Bella Hadid urged her over 54 million Instagram followers, New York City mayor Eric Adams and the City Council to help after a carriage horse collapsed on a Manhattan street and was struck and screamed at by his driver earlier this month.
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"Ryder needs immediate help and to be released from his abuser," Hadid said on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old asked for donations for the malnourished and underweight chestnut horse who collapsed on Aug. 10 on West 45th Street and Ninth Avenue.
The Vogue cover star and sister of model Gigi Hadid, who, according to the New York Post, has been a lifelong horseback rider, also called for legislative action to "phase out cruel carriage horses, protect them while [they're] still here and eventually replace [them] with a humane & electric alternative."
Her plea mentions a bill that was introduced in the City Council that would replace horse-drawn carriages with electronic carriages in the city.
"This has been going on for WAY too long in this kind of environment….Another sick, malnourished carriage horse collapsed in distress on the hot pavement of New York City while his driver whipped him repeatedly," she added.
Ryder lay on the ground for more than an hour as his driver struck him and yelled at him to get up.
He was examined by a veterinarian, who found that he was actually 28 to 30 years old, not 13 as initially reported, had a neurological disorder and "suffered superficial abrasions to [his] legs as a result of its collapse."
The model also called on the Manhattan district attorney's office and the NYPD "to investigate criminal animal abuse charges" against Ryder's owner, Ian McKeever, for his alleged misconduct.
Former carriage industry advocate Ken Frydman told the Post on Tuesday that McKeever had retired Ryder to a farm upstate and called his treatment "inexcusable and indefensible."
Edita Birnkrant, executive director of the animal rights group NYCLASS, told the Post that Ryder is not really retired.
"He is being held hostage by his abusers — the very people who have been caught in lie after lie about his horrific neglect and criminal mistreatment," she said.
In her post, Hadid also asked for people to message her if there was any information on his location.
"We have to do something now," she added. "This should have been done years ago. Eric Adams, The world is watching!! Please do what is right for these animals. Take action."
McKeever has not returned calls from the Post seeking comment on Ryder's location.
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