On March 21, a horse died of heart failure before the start of a day of shooting for the new season of Rings of Power. Now there are more facts. A spokesman for Amazon Studios confirmed the death, saying: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a horse involved in the production has died. The incident happened in the morning when the horse was being trained before rehearsals.” The US magazine The Hollywood Reporter reported.
The animal’s trainer wasn’t in costume and filming hadn’t even started yet. A veterinarian and a representative of the American Humane Association were also present. “The independent autopsy confirmed that the horse died of heart failure.”
Behind the scenes: How production horses are trained
Basically, the horses used for films are usually made available by companies that prepare the animals for the upcoming shooting for many years. One such company is The Devil’s Horse. (The video below shows the work behind the scenes – and was even released by the FEI, which means “International Equestrian Federation” in English, which is very strict when it comes to animal welfare.)
The horse used in filming Rings of Power was one of about 30 reportedly on set that day, according to The Hollywood Reporter. They were all provided by outfitter The Devil’s Horsemen, who have trained horses for many series including Game of Thrones. This appears to be the first fatal accident involving an animal on set in the company’s 50-year history. The horse is said to have had no previous health problems and ended up standing between 20 other horses before dying.
PETA demands: “Productions without agony”
After this incident became known, the animal rights organization PETA issued a statement calling on the series creators to “give up control of animals”: The creators had long since had the opportunity to use CGI (“computer generated images”) and more animal-friendly ones Using methods – “that wouldn’t rush the endangered horses to death on set”. Vice Chair Lisa Lange continued, “PETA urges the creators of the series – and all other producers – to embark on a new adventure without the use of real horses. If they can’t avoid exploiting animals for their art, they should find a new medium because nobody wants to see a TV spinoff that’s about torment.”
Tragic deaths on sets
There have also been other tragic cases that have occurred in recent years. In the HBO-Horse racing series Luck, for example, lost three horses during filming, prompting the network to cancel the series after one season over concerns about the safety of the animals. In 2022, a horse died on HBO’s The Gilded Age, which the broadcaster said was due to natural causes.