Facts About Horse Fighting
Horse fighting occurs throughout the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines during fiestas. Billed as a cultural tradition specific to indigenous communities, it is prominent enough to warrant local television coverage, municipal support in the form of cash prizes and sponsorship from local businesses.
Background
While horse fighting is promoted under the guise of tradition, in reality, extensive gambling on the outcomes of the horse fights, with bets running as high as £2000, is the main reason it has become so prevalent. Currently, thousands of horses are involved in hundreds of fights throughout the southern Philippines, with some fiestas organizing up to twenty fights per day over a three day period.
Current Legislation
Republic Act 8485, also known as the animal welfare act, outlawed all horse fighting in 1998. However, with penalties ranging from a minimum of 1000 pesos (approx. £10) to a maximum of 5000 pesos (approx. £50) horse fighting organizers pay little heed to the law, and the events take place in broad daylight in public areas.
Lack of Enforcement
Despite being illegal, not one person has been prosecuted for engaging in horse fighting since the passage of RA 8485 in 1998. Modest attempts to curtail horse fighting have been instituted by the national government’s Animal Welfare Division, to no avail. Local government in the regions where horse fighting is prevalent is fiercely protective of the activity and generally defies the national government’s authority on the issue. Often, local police are even hired by the promoters for crowd control purposes.
Animal Welfare Violations
Horse fighting is a spectator blood sport where two stallions (male horses), are incited to fight each other in a controlled environment over a mare (female horse) in heat. Events are conducted in city stadiums or large fenced in areas before raucous crowds who attend in anticipation of intense fighting, gore and even death. With high stakes in the balance, most horse fights involve purpose bred and trained animals who are large, sturdy and aggressive. The training process is brutal, involving fights with other horses, which handlers control by tying long ropes around the horse’s necks, and pulling heavy sleds up hills to build strength.
During a typical horse fight two stallions are presented to a mare in heat, who remains in the ring during the fight. The stallions bite, kick and strike each other with their hooves, inflicting serious injuries until one of them submits, flees or is killed. Injuries such as gouges, gashes and broken limbs sustained during fights are always serious and can be fatal. Veterinary observers report seeing horses being struck with such force to the head that their eyes literally pop out of their sockets, horses having their entire ears torn off during fights, and horses drenched in blood from their injuries. While most fights last about 15 minutes, many can go on for up to 3 hours. In one reported instance, a fight lasted 6 hours, ending only because one of the horses was so badly injured and exhausted, he was no longer able to stand up.
