Blood Sport Alert: Horse Fighting

Brutal and bloody, a fight to the death is what spectators would like to see most.

Animal rights groups have been fighting it for the longest time, the barbaric practice of placing horse against horse. The cause for such a display of brutality amongst normally calm, and majestic creatures? A mare. In a tournament of blood, this blood sport has being going on for about 500-years. Is it right? No. You may be asking yourself, how do the horses fight? Simple. Bite, kick, strike out, and trample each other in a blur of blood and sweat. Condemned by the animal welfare community the Korean and Chinese cultures are far from ready to give up their festivities.

These fights can turn out thousands of spectators to view, bringing round the gamblers who like to jeer and prod at the battling animals. Serious injuries erupt from such a spectacle including gouges, gashes, broken limbs and death. These events normally happen during festivals and are considered a true "sport" in some cultures. The bloody battle is nothing but sheer display of dominance, normally portrayed by two stallions when confronted with a mare "in season." While the Republic Act 8485, also known as the Animal Welfare Act, outlawed all horse fighting in 1998 with costly fines ranging from 1000 pesos to a maximum of 5000 pesos, the horse fighters rarely pay much attention to the laws.

Despite the passing of the act in 1998 not one person has been prosecuted for the outrageous act of placing horse against horse in a fighting ring. Small attempts have been made by the national government's Animal Welfare Division, but no prominent progression in stopping the heinous crime has been installed. How does horse fighting work? The two stallions are put before a mare in season, flaunted before them to get them riled up and soon after removed. The two stallions go at it, attempting to prove their worth the first horse to fall, run away or die is declared the loser. These continues until two champions have been decided, and then a final battle proceeds to which the winner goes the spoils.

Sometimes to satisfy a bloodthirsty crowd, a previously injured horse is intentionally placed against a stronger opponent simply to watch more gruesome injuries to incur. These horrid bloodsports are just as bad as dog fighting, and cock fighting. These animals are sustaining horrid injuries for the jollies of heartless humans, it is sad and people need to be aware that this is happening and it is VERY real.