Saddlebred Society denies they hid horse cruelty

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has finalised a case of animal cruelty against parties involved in the alleged abuse of a line-bred chestnut stallion.  

The sire-rated horse, known as Emeralda Dearborn, is part of a pedigreed lineage of prizewinning horses bred in the Northern Cape.

A complaint was sent to the NSPCA claiming the horse was in poor condition, prompting a visit from National Inspector Jacques van der Merwe in April.

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The NSPCA inspector described severe neglect and injuries, with the horse being in critical condition, covered in bandages and unable to stand.

“The amount of suffering that this gentle giant faced is incomprehensible. Why anyone would allow any animal to suffer in such a tragic state, in the name of sport and entertainment, is beyond cruel and signifies severe neglect,” said Inspector van der Merwe.

Saddlebred Society responds to abuse of Dearborn

The organisation overseeing saddlebred competitions was accused by the NSPCA of not reporting the stud’s condition. But Vice President of the Saddlebred Society of South Africa (SSSA) and acting welfare chairman Koekie de Villiers said they were not aware of any issue with Dearborn or the stables prior to April.

“We only learned about the situation after the vet, as well as the Kimberley SPCA, were involved. To give the impression that we did not report it or don’t want to report cases is not true,” stated De Villiers.

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De Villiers added that the case was being investigated by the SSSA board. The horse is under the organisation’s care and reportedly recovering well.

“I would like to state that the welfare of our horses is very important to us. Kimberley SPCA did investigate the place where all of the owner’s horses are kept and they assured me that all the other horses were in a good condition,” she added.

The NSPCA’s Jacques Peacock reiterated that the Northern Cape custodian of the horse was under investigation and that they would be registering the case imminently.