The prosecution rested and the defense began its case Thursday in the animal cruelty trial of a man whose carriage horse collapsed in Hell’s Kitchen nearly three years ago.
Video of a carriage horse named Ryder on the ground at 45th Street and Ninth Avenue on Aug. 10, 2022, went viral.
The horse’s handler, 56-year-old Ian McKeever, has pleaded not guilty to overdriving, torturing and injuring animals, and failure to provide proper sustenance, a misdemeanor.
Vet testifies Ryder “was pushed beyond his limit”
The Manhattan district attorney’s office alleges Ryder the horse collapsed after working a full day in 84-degree weather and that McKeever repeatedly tried to force the animal to stand, never offering water and ignoring signs he was in distress…