Cape May carriage horse put down after blizzard rescue fails

🐴 Beloved Cape May carriage horse Diesel dies after blizzard rescue
❄️ Blizzard of 2026 buries NJ in snow, sparks outages and health risks
🚒 Firefighters, police and Coast Guard respond to dramatic rescue attempt

CAPE MAY — The blizzard of 2026 has taken a toll on many New Jerseyans, with over a foot of snow falling in many parts, causing thousands of power outages, school and airport cancellations, and creating the danger of what is called “heart attack snow” when shoveling.

ALSO READ: Clean your car of snow or get fined, NJ

This week’s snowstorm has also been tough on Cape May Carriage, the famous horse and carriage ride company that’s been a part of Victorian Cape May since 1983, offering unforgettable horse-drawn carriage rides to tourists.

Dramatic rescue effort unfolds for stuck carriage horse in Cape May

The carriage company said one of its horses, Diesel, rolled in the snow on Monday, got stuck in a muddy area in the field, and was unable to get itself up.

After attempting for a few hours to get the horse up by themselves, they realized they needed more help and contacted the city.

Members of the Cape May fire and police departments, and even the Coast Guard, showed up, and were able to free Diesel from the hole he dug for himself.

The horse was understandably exhausted and unable to stand on his own at the time.

“So, in an attempt to let him rest and hopefully get himself strong enough to stand on his own, we took an 800-pound bale of hay, and made a nice bed for him, where he could be laid on and covered up with hay and blankets and straw,” the company wrote on Facebook.

They hoped he would be okay after a restful night and strong enough to get up the next day. Diesel’s temperature was monitored, and he was not in danger of hypothermia, Cape May Carriage said.

Heartbreaking decision made after horse unable to stand

The next day, Diesel still could not stand up on his own. He tried and tried but was too weak.

The heartbreaking decision was made to have him humanely euthanized.

“It is not a decision we take lightly and we did not want to make an irrational decision. Last night after the horse had spent several hours yesterday exhausting himself trying to get up, we hoped that giving him a little time to gain his strength back would make a difference,” they said.

Cape May Carriage made it clear that the staff would never do anything to make any of their horses suffer. The painful decision to euthanize only came after all options were exhausted.

“We will miss him dearly as he has been a part of the carriage company for many years. RIP Diesel.”

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