Carriage horse dies on set of ‘Gilded Age’ in Previous Bethpage

The Nassau County SPCA is investigating the dying of a carriage horse who collapsed although on a film established in Outdated Bethpage.

The 22-calendar year-aged horse died June 28 during the filming of the HBO period of time drama “The Gilded Age” at Previous Bethpage Village Restoration.

The horse collapsed in the course of filming, which experienced started 15 minutes right after a just one-hour relaxation time period during a scene involving a carriage and two travellers, HBO officials reported. HBO halted filming straight away whilst tending to the horse and manufacturing stopped for the day, officials explained.

SPCA investigators were being referred to as and the horse’s remains were being despatched to veterinarians at Cornell University for a necropsy to decide a trigger of dying, SPCA president Gary Rogers reported.

HBO officers said in a assertion that a veterinarian’s preliminary conclusions mentioned the horse appeared to have died of purely natural results in. SPCA investigators have not issued any preliminary report or claimed whether or not there was any visible trauma.

HBO officers mentioned horse wranglers and a veterinarian confirmed the horse experienced not proven any symptoms of distress for the duration of filming. Temperatures ended up in the 70s and the horse was not overworked or overheated, officers mentioned.

“The safety and nicely-being of animals on all our productions is a top rated precedence, and the producers of The Gilded Age function with American Humane to assure full compliance with all basic safety precautions,” HBO officials said in a assertion.

American Humane Modern society representatives were being on the set at the time of the demise and interviewed all personnel, HBO officers claimed.

There are no legal guidelines requiring the humane society or gurus to inspect animals on site, in accordance to the SPCA. A report by PETA said the horse had a well being issues and experienced head trauma and was frothing at the mouth, but Rogers mentioned it was unclear when any trauma took put.

“If the horse died and fell to the ground they can bruise by themselves,” Rogers explained. “We’re making an attempt to determine if it was triggered by the incident or what is the lead to of any bruising.”

If any neglect or abuse is uncovered, the SPCA can make contact with the Nassau County district lawyer.

The horse had prior knowledge on movie sets, in accordance to HBO. Rogers said the equine was a retired racehorse. A 22-yr-outdated horse is considered to be a senior animal and it is not unheard of for horses in their 20s to put up with from health-related problems, industry experts say. 

PETA associates referred to as on HBO to cease utilizing horses or other animals for the duration of filming any foreseeable future productions. The animal rights group cited HBO’s history, which features the deaths of three horses at the Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia, California, during filming of the canceled horse racing series “Luck” in 2012.

The animal rights group mentioned the horses who died were being arthritic and unfit for be used in the filming. The Santa Anita observe has been the site of various deaths of active racehorses in latest yrs.

“PETA is reminding HBO that watchful, compassionate people today can be uncovered on each and every set and is urging it to end using horses just before another person else dies in its productions,” PETA senior vice president Kathy Guillermo reported in a statement issued following the dying of the horse on the “Gilded Age” set.