Carriage Pulling Horse Collapses From The Heat In NYC After Owner Flogged It For Resting

An exhausted carriage horse collapsed during the evening rush hour in Manhattan on Wednesday — lying on the asphalt while his driver repeatedly struck him and ordered him to “get up.”

The animal’s knees buckle in video footage as the driver jerks the reins and slaps the horse in an attempt to make it stand on 9th Avenue and West 45th Street in Hell’s Kitchen.

“Get up! Get up! Get up! C’mon, get up,” the frustrated driver commanded as traffic backed up on the busy avenue around 5 p.m.

Onlookers were disturbed by the flogging.

“What if I slapped you around like that, bro?” one concerned bystander asked.

“Stop slapping him,” another woman was heard pleading.

“I’m trying to get him up, alright,” the driver said, as he whipped the horse with the reins twice.

The dejected horse then laid down on its side and rested his head on the street as the driver removed his carriage with the help of a pedestrian.

A group of police officers then arrived and were filmed dousing the horse with water, finally getting him on his feet after more than an hour, according to video and witnesses.