Nearly 40 Geriatric Ponies Are Being Forced to Carry Riders in Scorching Los Angeles Heat, Riddled With Untreated Saddle Sores, Callouses, and Dental Issues
According to an inspection of the Griffith Park Pony Rides in Los Angeles by an equine expert back in January, nearly 40 poor ponies were in need of medical attention that they simply weren’t getting — their owner was too busy selling their bodies for human entertainment. The inspection revealed nearly every pony had saddle sores, callouses, or untreated dental issues — and the facility itself had dangerous gaps in welfare policy and improper shelter. Most of these ponies are between 20 and 30 years old — that’s considered geriatric! These animals should be living easily and peacefully near the end of their lives…instead, they are being forced to perform labor and undergoing neglect, all “disguised as child entertainment.”
The reality is that pony rides may seem innocent, but they can be harmful to animals. Just like horse drawn carriages, innocent ponies should not be forced to do labor to entertain human beings, and more often than not, these scenarios develop into abusive work environments. In cases of animals performing labor for humans, individual failure to provide welfare and avoid neglect is too common for these operations to be worth it — the city of Los Angeles should be banning the practice outright.
We must tell the City of Los Angeles that there is no excuse to continue such a shameful and abusive practice that harms and exploits creatures as gentle as ponies. The city must pass an ordinance banning pony rides before the summer heat gets worse! Sign if you agree!