No end to horse owner's cruelty

AHMEDABAD: A horse owner was caught by Ellisbridge police in May this year after an activist filed a complaint for animal cruelty. The black horse was released by a court after a fine and an assurance from the owner that he would not practice cruelty -by frequently and unnecessarily changing horsehoes, which caused sepsis on the animal's front legs.
Four months later, the same man has been apprehended by Vivekanandnagar police station of Ahmedabad district for animal cruelty.In May , Imran Khan Pathan, 24, a resident of Khan Wadi, Ramol, was caught with six horseshoes whereas on October 14, Pathan was found in possession of 23 horseshoes. The horse has been sent to Asha Foundation in Hathijan for treatment.
Harmesh Bhatt of Asha Foundation, said this is the fourth incident of such cruelty in the last four years. “The owners of horses involved in commercial and recreational activities do not subject animals to such cruelty .Horseshoes have to be fixed by a licensed expert and it lasts for around three months. The shoe is fixed also only when the horse has to frequently travel on asphalt roads. In this case, the horse's leg has been severely damaged due to the frequent nailing and removal of the shoe,“ he said.
Experts said horseshoes from black horses are in demand as it is believed that fixing the shoe in front of the office or home can ward off bad luck caused by Shani (Saturn).Mostly , when the horses are past their prime, the owners engage in cruel practices where they make the shoe `fall' off the right hoof of the horse and demand anything between Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000 depending on the buyer's interest.
“Stringent action against the habitual offenders is the only way to stop the cruelty that more often than not leave the animals incapacitated permanently ,“ said Bhatt.