Carriage horse dead after collapsing Downtown

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A carriage horse that collapsed in front of passersby Friday night on Main Street is dead, the horse’s owners said.

Uptown Carriage Company released a statement Monday saying that the young horse, Junior, experienced “an extremely rare paralysis” and had to be euthanized:

“On behalf of Uptown Carriage Company and the carriage industry in Memphis, we are saddened to announce the loss of Junior, a young horse who joined our family a short couple of months ago. According to our Veterinarian who was contacted immediately, Junior without notice experienced extremely rare paralysis and went down. Upon arrival of our veterinarian it was recommended junior be euthanized. I would like to thank the city of Memphis Police Department for their extremely professional diligence in helping us deal with a sad situation.”

The incident caused a stir among Downtown residents and visitors Friday. The horse had to be taken away on a truck after onlookers saw it struggle.