“Beating A Dead Horse” Gone Literal - Shocking Images of Chinese and Philippine Horse Fighting - Equestrians and Animal Lovers Beware…
February 19th, 2008 | by Ginnie | (Visited 33,227 times)Not to long ago, I published a piece on Guillermo Habacuc Vargas’ art exhibit featuring a chained dog as it died on the exhibit floor. Actual and malicious animal abuse isn’t something that gets as much attention as it probably should, but it’s something that still can manage to shock those of us who’ve seen almost everything on the net.
In this case, it’s horses fighting to the death, for sport, in areas of China and the Philippines. I came across this earlier and couldn’t help but want to spread this. Horses are amazingly adept and intelligent creatures and to see them brought down to this basic of a level is terrible.
Here is some more information:
The crowd roars its approval as the chestnut stallion sinks his teeth into the throat of his opponent.
The terrified victim rears up on his hind legs and veers away in a desperate bid to escape, but it is no use.
Blood is pouring into his eyes and he can no longer see. His right ear is torn and bloody.
** Warning: The images below are violent and possibly unsettling **
The bigger horse moves in for the coup de grace, repeatedly kicking the weaker animal in the head with his front hooves.
His opponent soon collapses and lies panting on the ground, an all too typical end to one of the most horrific spectator ’sports’ ever devised - horse-fighting tournaments.
But that hasn’t stopped them becoming hugely popular in the Philippines, where these appalling pictures were taken.
…
“These tournaments are truly barbaric,” says Andrew Plumbly of the welfare group Network for Animals, which has been campaigning to bring an end to the savage contests.
“Our vets have seen horses being kicked in the head so hard that their eyes have popped out of their sockets. Other horses have had their ears ripped off. It’s straight out of the Middle Ages.”
Horse-fighting occurs almost exclusively in Mindanao in the southern Philippines, and in parts of China.
The horrific tournament happened in the town of Don Carlos and involved 54 horses, many of which had gruesome injuries.
Thousands of people turned out to watch the bloodbath, including hundreds of children. Many of the adults were drunk and spent their time gambling and jeering at the battling animals.
Though horses do not normally fight one another, these stallions had been whipped into a fighting frenzy by the presence of a young mare who was “in season” and had been staked to the ground in the middle of the muddy arena.
Overwhelmed by desire, the stallions attacked each other in a bid to defeat their sexual rivals.
Many were soon covered in gashes and bites. Others limped around the arena with a glazed look in their eyes as they pathetically tried to escape.
The tournament was equally traumatic for the mare used as “bait” for the stallions.
Not only was she repeatedly hit by stray blows from the dueling horses, but the poor creature was also obliged to mate with the victorious stallions from each “bout”, meaning that she was mounted as many as 30 times during one tournament which can last up to six hours.
“Horses often die in the ring from exhaustion or their injuries,” says Mr Plumbly, who has witnessed one such tournament.
Veterinary care is too expensive for most owners to bother with, so wounded horses are often killed for their meat and the choicest cuts barbecued and sold to the crowd.
A similar fate awaits those horses deemed too old or too weak to fight. These are “sacrificed” by pitting them against much stronger stallions.
Some break their legs as they desperately try to escape. But the bloodier the injuries, the louder the crowd cheers.
Although horse-fighting is illegal in the Philippines, corruption and lack of enforcement ensure that the tournaments continue - and with apparent official sanction.
Matches are featured on TV, and local businesses sponsor horses and tournaments. Local authorities offer prize money.
The tournaments are promoted as a “cultural tradition”, but in fact they are largely organised and controlled by crime syndicates, who rake in huge profits from gambling.
Thousands of pounds are bet on each fight - a small fortune in a desperately poor country such as the Philippines.
Call To Action
Network for Animals is trying to organize to help fight this sport and treat the horses as best as they can. Visit their website (www.networkforanimals.org) for more information.
Additionally, I found two petitions aimed at stopping horse fighting. I don’t know that they’re able to do too much due to these foreign governments being lax on this sort of thing. But either way, if you feel motivated, they could always use the signatures:
Care2 - STOP Horse Fighting in Korea, China & Philippines
and
Petition Spot - End Horse Fighting!
Videos
Here are two related movies on the phenomenon. Again, be wary if this sort of thing makes you uncomfortable. These are not comfortable movies to watch.
Horse Fighting in South Korea
Note: Embedding is disabled for this one - please click the video frame to go to the YouTube link
Campaign Against Horse Fighting
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there are no comments
because it is so cruel so stupid so unbelievable
that there are no words.
animals are surely much better than we are.
ciao
violacolor
it is very cruel
yes that very cruel! I wonder they were born with this cruelty and got to learn it from us.
there is NO excuse for this one.
Im disgusted.
yea i know my horses
fight alot
Each country have own particulatities, but i don´t like this one.
Tbh, this is the most hilarious thing I have ever seen in my life. Really.
I find the pictures of the deranged horses the best entertainment I have ever seen in my entire life.
Also, I particularly love the fact that not only is this a show, it’s dinner too. Horse chop steak is absolutely gorgeous and even better when you just watched the animal get kicked to death(makes it very tender).
I think anyone who despises this kind of sport is a silly hippy who needs to learn that just because they have an opinion on the matter, it does NOT mean that everybody else should immediately agree with their opinion and that anyone who does disagree should change their opinion to match their own. Because ladies and gents, that’s fascism - you know who else was a fascist? That’s right, Adolf Hitler. Enjoy your hippy trip, you little mini-Hitlers.
HEIL!
i can’t believe you approve of this!! You sick, twisted, evil person. D:
The fact is that most times this happens ( not in a ring with bystanders) it is with an ultimate outcome. Mares!. Not a roaring crowd, furthermore, it is not until the death. Pointless and violent. Not their opinion, mine. I am sure the only horse steaks you have had, have been in France. “Se rappeler, d’autres traite comme vous vous auriez traité. Les animaux ont d’importance aussi. Au revoir”
I would like to stick you in the ring with these horses and see how you like it. Then we can size you up for dinner. you sick#*$#*.
that is the most cruelest thing i have ever seen wriiten how dare you say that is entertainment maybe we should tie you up in a pen and set a tiger on you to fight you until you slowly die. then how would you feel, maybe people should put bets on how long you last.
you make me sick. how can you justify what is being done to the horses? in the wild, very rarely does one horse kill another. do you think it’s humane to make horses fight each other? do you think it’s humane to let them kill each other just because humans like watching it? if you want a horse steak, kill a horse humanely. shoot it with a gun and make it’s death quick.
In nature, horses fight, and on rare occations death accures. Most of the time the weaker animal is able to run away. The stronger stays to get the mares. If a new stallion takes over the herd he will kill all the young so the mares come into heat for him to breed.
This is not nature. This is people taking pleasure in the violence. The weaker animal can’t run away and the stronger will continue to attack until he does.
Harvesting meat doesn’t have to be cruel, be it horses or chickens. Though I don’t eat horse meat, I do havest animals that I raise from infancy. They do not know a cruel day, and the end is quick so the pain is short. Those that don’t agree, don’t eat meat, but don’t tell me I don’t have the right too.
This is plain right disgusting and disturbing. I cant believe that stuff like this is being done in this world…..
Horses do fight, most male animals do one way or another. My objection is to the distortion of something ‘natural’ for the satisfaction of human sadism. If people take pleasure out of something like this then you have to ask the question where has thier sense of humanity gone and who or what beat it out of them. Davey Crocket himself “whupped the tar” out of a schoolboy bully and would probably do the same to people who actively engaged in this sort of bullying. Never mistake freedom as a licence to do what you please just because its your opinion with no regard for life or reflection on what your actions might mean. With freedom comes responsibility, fascism florishes when we lose sight of that. I would not classify myself as a hippy, just human, death and dispair are implicit in being alive, however I will not close my heart and have death in life… so yes I do feel shocked and saddened and would never condone this and “whupped the tar” out of those who would do this to another.
Rory, thanks for the comment. That’s actually a really awesome quote regarding freedom.
This is absolutely disgusting. As an animal lover, I am revolted by the race to which I belong. People call one another ‘animals’ as a degrading term - but no animals stoop so low as what we humans - supposedly top of the food chain for our superior intellect - do. I admit that a stallion would fight off another to defend his mares and his territory, but they would be able to escape by fleeing, unlike in this ring.
It is akin to watching cock fighting or bull terriers tearng each other apart.
Walgelijk. Maar natuurlijk, men kan niet slimmer doen dan men is!!!!
Deze beelden geven een goed beeld van wat de inrichters en de toeschouwers eigenlijk voorstellen.
In het Nederlands gezegd: een dik pak stront!!!!!!
You know there are cruel sports everywhere: cock fighting, bull fighting, snake and mongoose fighting, and then there is the British tradition of hunting “the unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible”.
The fact is that humans enjoy watching violence and blood and gore. Why else would do many violent films be made?
Does this mean you approve? It is out and out CRUELTY. This so called “artist” should be chained and starved. Cockfighers, they shoul step into that ring, snake and monggose fighting is total cruelty also. Yes Mongoose hunt snakes in wild, let them be wild and do their thing. Roosters will fight and argue, but, they don’t have added equipment, and the figure out who is dominant male. IT IS CRUELTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Foxhunting has even gotten PC. They drag the scent of a fox, the dogs follow until they get to the end.
What is the world coming to! I have had horses all my life and to see this is makes my heart sink! How could you call this a sport! It’s sickening!
Yes stallions in the wild fight for mares etc but to make them do it for fun is twisted!
Anyone who thinks this is ok or ‘fun’ should be shot or made to die a slow and painful death and that goes for anyone who mistreats any animal! You are the scum of the earth and don’t deserve the right to live.
For you people who enjoy watching these horse fall into their knees and badly beaten for your enjoyment…..goes to show you don’t got the heart of a human!!!!!!!! If you think this is fun wait till it happens to you in your life time. I find it EVIL…not only on horses but any animal cruelty is UNACCEPATBLE!!!!!!
This doesn’t look fun to me!!!!! This is HUMAN CRUELTY!!!! If you people find it amazing I find it evil to be cruel to anything God created!!!!! And I hope this cruelty would never happen to you in your life time!!!!
Anthropomorphizing creatures to the point that they take on equal or greater value than a human being is ill-minded and leads to some very sickening hypocrisies.
However, that said, many people enjoy this entertainment because they anthropomorphize the victims. This is unhealthy, and has the potential to build some person’s tolerance for causing human misery.
I have to oppose this because of the cultural climate it reinforces… not out of some knee-jerk response to the mistreatment of a species regarded as a companion/work animal.
Horses are nice and cute, until they buck you in the face and trample you to death. This seems like a good sport to bet money on though. Thanks for the info!
i hate people when they do that thats just mean
destani
i almost cried would you’se like it if we put u in a ring 2 fight 4 death i am discusted if there were no people who cared who we killed u would be the first