The successful ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ has already had to face several controversies, but the last one is surely also the most unexpected. The point is that from Amazon they have made it known that a horse that was to be used in the filming died on setclarifying the following about what happened:
We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died on March 21. The incident took place in the morning while the horse was being exercised before trials. The tamer was not wearing a suit and filming had not yet started. Both a veterinarian and a representative from the American Humane Association were present at the time. Independent necropsy has confirmed that the horse died of heart failure.
The details around the sad death of the horse They seem to make it clear that it was a fortuitous incident, since the recordings had not even started and everything possible was being done for the welfare of the animal. There is always the question of whether this heart failure could be due in some way to the stress of taking him to the set, but nothing suggests that it was the case.
From Deadline they clarify that that day more than 30 horses were going to be used in the filming, all of them supplied by the company The Devil’s Horsemen. This company has collaborated with titles as powerful as ‘Game of Thrones’ or ‘Wonder Woman’ throughout its 50-year history and this death is the first in its 50-year history.
However, that has not prevented since PETA have been savagely critical of Amazon, considering the show’s use of horses to amount to “animal exploitation“, above all because of the alternatives that were available to them. In addition, the association People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals They have released the following statement:
It seems that living underground with orcs is the norm for the producers of ‘The Rings of Power’, because they have the option of using CGI, mechanical rigging and other humane methods that would not make vulnerable horses run to their deaths on set. PETA is calling on the creators of the series – and all other producers – to undertake a new search without using real horses. If they can’t avoid animal exploitation for their art, they should find a new medium, because no one wants to see a TV spin-off with torment as its theme.
Apparently, yes, other horses were already participating in the rehearsal of a combat scene, but the deceased equine was waiting to one side. After his death, filming was temporarily halted so that his body could be removed. and shortly after the recordings were resumed.
By the way, it is not the first time that a horse dies during filming, as this past summer it happened with one on the set of ‘The Golden Age’, while a few years ago the case of ‘Luck’ was very controversial, where three horses died during filming. Besides, Regarding Middle-earth, it is not the first time that it has happened either., because more than a dozen animals, including several horses, lost their lives during the recording of ‘The Hobbit’. It is not common for it to happen, but, as you can see, it is not that rare either.
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