All horses go to heaven.
After a troubling incident where a horse in New York City ran off and collided with two parked cars, he has sadly reached a tranquil end following a peaceful retirement on a sprawling farm in the Hamptons.
This grey draft horse, named Arthur, was startled by someone shouting at Central Park while waving an umbrella back in February of 2018. In his panic, he bolted with three tourists in a carriage, resulting in a crash that left the carriage mangled and the passengers with minor injuries.
The aftermath of this incident led to significant damage and garnered Arthur a spot in the hearts of animal activists, eventually leading him to a Massachusetts horse sanctuary.
At the time, many people and organizations, including comedian Whitney Cummings, expressed interest in adopting Arthur, but he slipped away from the spotlight.
It was later revealed that West Village restaurateur Sabrina Rudin decided to adopt him after reading a heartfelt piece about him. She shared, “I’ve always wanted to save the horses from carriages… and there was just something about him that resonated with me,” said Rudin, who owns Spring Café Aspen.
Despite the complicated process, partly due to the media buzz and ongoing debates around carriage horses, she persisted. Arthur was placed in her care in May 2018.
Rudin emphasized her commitment to giving Arthur a personal and fulfilling life. Finding a suitable home for a large horse like him proved challenging, but she found a great fit for him at Swan Creek Farms in Bridgehampton. The barn owners were able to create a spacious stall for Arthur.
Having grown up around horses, Rudin felt overjoyed. “The first few times he saw grass, he was just ecstatic,” she recalled.
Initially, Arthur was shy and had trouble befriending other horses. But one day, Mandy, from the farm, called Rudin with wonderful news—Arthur had made friends with a mini donkey named Jingles, and they quickly became inseparable despite their size differences.
Rudin couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this. The two spent their days playing together in meadows for years. Arthur never pulled a carriage or rode again, enjoying a life filled with treats from Rudin’s three young sons who adored him.
“He was fantastic with the boys,” she mentioned, noting that he became a gentle way to teach them how to care for animals.
However, a few weeks ago, it was discovered that Arthur, estimated to be around 18 years old, had lymphoma and a large mass. His health declined rapidly at Cornell Raffian Equine Hospital, and he couldn’t return to his farm friends.
Last Sunday, Rudin took Jingles to the hospital for a final farewell. “They had this very emotional reunion… Arthur could hear him coming down the hallway,” Rudin shared, highlighting their deep bond as they spent that last morning together.
On Monday, Rudin held Arthur’s head close, whispering her love to him as he went to sleep for the last time. She asked him to send her a sign that he was at peace.
The next day, a client of Mandy’s coincidentally sent her an old picture of her daughter standing beside a horse in a carriage that resembled Arthur, taken back in 2018.
Rudin speculated that this might not be a picture of Arthur, but she felt it was a sign that he was okay, saying, “I think he was winking at me, reassuring me he is safe.”
Sharing his story feels like a “full circle moment” for her. “It’s strange because I feel like I saw an article about him yesterday,” she reflected.
