It is quite a shock when we see human beings, the most civilized and intelligent species in the world, treating animals in an inhumane manner. We take animals for granted, take our work from them, and then leave them to suffer alone.

That said, there are many organizations like PETA that work for the welfare of animals. Among the most abused animals are horses, which are being used in many ways to fulfill the needs of humans. The list of accidents involving horses is rapidly increasing, helped by illegal horse related activities taking place all over the world. The recently held illegal horse ride in India is a perfect example of such activities.

The Violence Faced by Horses

Horses have been subjected to careless treatment by humans for centuries. They are put to an immense amount of physical and mental suffering because of practices like illegal horse rides and horse-drawn carriage rides.

There have been many accounts of such horses developing chronic illnesses and physical defects like leg problems. Some of these horses have even been known to drop dead from a strong heatstroke.

There are not many laws to protect horses from such cruelty, and much of the responsibility falls to local authorities to enforce such laws. Most of these authorities don’t have the time or the budget to monitor every horse being abused.

An example of local authorities’ failure, or rather their inability, to prevent horse abuse is the illegal horse rides that are being opposed by animal rights activists in India.

Ignorance to AWBI’s Alerts

The horse ride was conducted in Ernakulam despite all the prior warnings from the Animal Welfare Board of India. On February 26, several provisions regarding the animal rights were violated by the managers of this event which was held at the Kakkor area of Ernakulam in the district of Kerala.

In June of 2014, the sport of Jallikettu (bull-taming) was banned by a Supreme Court order. This event being organized is a direct violation of this order and many animal rights organizations have asked the District Collector and Muvattuppuzha Revenue Divisional Officer to take the necessary measures to put an end to such events.

The horse that was used in this event has sustained a number of serious injuries and needs proper veterinary care right away. The fact that human beings are causing such cruelty on animals even today, in a world that has progressed by leaps and bounds as far as education and awareness is concerned, is truly baffling and shameful. We need to be more sensitive to the needs of the animals that help drive our lives forward, instead of abusing them for our own pleasure. This illegal horse ride organized in India is just one of the many examples of animal cruelty that is being practiced all over the world, and we need to start opposing such acts more publicly if we are to hope for their end.