The British Ministry of Defense is under fire from animal rights groups after admitting that it put down healthy horses simply for having a "bad temperament."
With Steven Spielberg's film War Horse being watched around the globe, equine charity HorseWorld has written to the MOD to raise concerns that these brave military horses may be being destroyed needlessly.
In defense of war horses
British Ministry of Defense has euthanized war horses because of "bad temperament".
HorseWorld in Whitechurch, is the visitor centre of The Friends of Bristol Horses Society, one of the largest charitable equine rescue centres in Britain. The society was formed almost 50 years ago to provide shelter and retirement for working horses that have fallen victim to industrial mechanization and today has over 220 residents including former military horses.
Figures released by the military department showed that 28 army horses were put down last year – 16 more than in 2009 and some of the horses were euthanized because of "bad temperament.". The practice is clearly not a new one, as 2009 saw three horses killed on these grounds. The statistics emerged in a written parliamentary answer from Defense Minister Andrew Robathan in response to a question from Labour MP Kevan Jones.
HorseWorld equine welfare director Jerry Watkins said: "Alternatives to euthanasia always need to be properly considered when an animal reaches the end of its working life," and is calling for transparency related to ending the lives of any military horses.
According to the Ministry of Defense, healthy animals are rehomed, and of the army horses destroyed in 2011 because of their physical complaints, ten were put down due to lameness, seven for colic, three for injury, three for brain problems and one for cancer, only a "small minority" of animals needed to be euthanized.
In 2009, when nine horses were put down due to ailments, eight were suffering from lameness, and one was injured.
A MOD spokesman said: ‘Our animals play an invaluable role on military operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere and are much loved by the troops.