A city-hired veterinarian uncovered concerning conditions inside Central Park’s stables, including cramped quarters, skin lesions and swollen limbs, a report revealed Tuesday — as the fleet of carriage horses returned to work.
The bombshell veterinary report, obtained by animal activists through a freedom of information request, contained the shocking findings from surprise visits made to the Manhattan stables in December.
The vet, hired by the city under then-Mayor Eric Adams, found at least a dozen horses showing “abnormalities or concerns,” such as scarring and lesions caused by too-tight harnesses, negligent dental care and the animals being housed in too-small stables, according to the report.
Nine of the 12 horses inspected by the vet during a surprise visit had scarring, and seven had “unsound” dental issues, states the report, obtained by the animal rights organization New Yorkers for Clean, Livable, and Safe Streets. “The overwhelming majority of the horses I examined had scars on their back,” Dr. Kraig Kulikowski wrote. “While the scars were currently healed and not going to impact the horses on that day, at some point all of those horses with scars had improperly-fitting tack that caused trauma to the horses’ backs.
“Findings like that should not be acceptable norms.”
One horse, Sophia, was recommended a “complete lameness work-up” due to apparent painful and enlarged soft tissue – though her owner, and all others, refused basic trotting and bloodwork tests, according to the report, which was reviewed by The Post.
“[The owner] demonstrated no concern with the fact that Sophia was obviously sore on both hind legs,” Kulikowski wrote.
“When the general consensus is not to cooperate and lash out at any heath care issues, the priorities of those involved comes into question.”
The first-of-its-kind visit prompted Adams, the day before he left office, to issue an executive order calling for an overhaul of the industry – including mandating that the fleet of carriage horses undergo regular veterinary inspections and be tested for drugs and injuries.
But those efforts were nixed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he was sworn in Jan. 1, in a sweeping revocation of executive orders issued by his predecessor.
Mamdani has been facing political pressure to crack down on the industry following the death of a teenage tourist last week when a startled carriage horse took off with him and his family in tow.
TWU Local 100, which reps the carriage horse drivers, paused passenger rides following 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan’s tragic death June 17.
Drivers were set to attend meetings to review safety rules and protocols, including securing and maintaining control of carriage horses at all times, said Alexander Kemp, administrative vice president of TWU Local 100, ahead of rides resuming Tuesday.
The union also said it welcomed more oversight from the city Department of Health by having officials conduct consistent check-ins and enforcement.
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