Witness takes photos of fallen horse on NYC street

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Photo provided by NYCLASS

An animal advocacy group is slamming Mayor Bill de Blasio for not speaking out about a carriage horse seen in photos laying on the street in Manhattan. A witness claims the horse collapsed, but according to a veterinarian, the horse "tripped and fell," reported the NY Post.

The witness who took photos of the incident, told the Post that the carriage horse was in the middle of 50th St. and 12th Ave. for more than 20 minutes on Sept. 2 at about 2 a.m.

"He was forcing him to make the light. The horse was tired," Bogdal Paul Angheluta told the Post.

A police officer blocked off the street while workers from nearby stables brought the horse water and put something in its mouth.

"He didn't collapse, he tripped himself," said Christina Hansen, a spokeswoman for the carriage industry.

In a statement released to the media, NYCLASS wrote:

"It is outrageous that in the year 2016, there are still carriage horses collapsing on Hell's Kitchen streets at 2:00 AM. Mayor de Blasio has epically failed our city's gentle giants. This Mayor has said nothing about the injured horse, despite claiming that he's an advocate for animals. His excuses for lack of action are lamer than an overworked carriage horse."

"Had this witness not come forward to report the incident to animal advocates, the public never would have known it even happened. How many other horse incidents have been hidden from the public? We are calling on city officials to allow an independent veterinarian to examine the horse, and calling on Mayor de Blasio to stop with the same old empty rhetoric and keep his promise to protect these horses."