Carriage horse had genetic disease: vet

A carriage horse euthanized after collapsing in Central Park last year likely had a genetic muscular disease — and showed no signs of mistreatment when she died, according to a report released Sunday by the drivers union.

Aysha, a 10-year-old draft crossbreed, died on Feb. 29, 2020, with heartbreaking footage showing her stumbling on her hind legs and slumping to the ground.

Her death sparked protests against the use of carriage horses in the city — but the Transport Workers Union claimed on Sunday that an exam showed Aysha appeared to be well-cared for.

“On physical exam, I found horse in good condition, no evidence of struggle, no marks, no fractures, and no injuries consistent with abuse or mishandling,” Dr. Camilo B. Sierra wrote in a post-mortem report for the city’s Health Department.

“I must assume this horse sustained an acute case of” polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), a muscular disease known as “tying up,” the veterinarian wrote.

PSSM is genetic, according to veterinary scientists, and causes horses’ muscles to freeze because of how they convert food into energy in their cells.

The condition is often asymptomatic, and Aysha’s vet also concluded that the mare had PSSM.

Christina Hansen, a spokeswoman for the carriage drivers, said the results were being released to stop the case from being “exploited and misrepresented.”

Mayor de Blasio has long tried to ban carriage horses.