Equestrian Penalized $1,650 by Court One Year After Displaying Ruthless Behavior

Equestrian is a sport in which horses play a central role. These majestic creatures help elevate the careers of their riders and trainers to new heights. There is a great deal of elegance in the sport, but also a significant degree of danger. Equine care is a topic that has arisen out of years of equestrian practice since horses need the same respect and kindness that we show to one another. Yet there are those riders who see their horses as nothing more than a means to an end (the finish line). This issue was brought up last year when a rider was seen abusing his horse in North Otago.

A video of a rider hitting her horse at last year’s event went viral. Those concerned with animal rights were outraged by the footage because the rider, subsequently revealed to be Rebecca Smithey, was clearly abusing the horse. This approximately two-minute-long video revealed how the lady attacked the horse, and this matter also proceeded to court as the judgment was only released last month against the rider.

The judgment against the equestrian

At the North Otago competition, footage captured Rebecca Smithey abusing her horse. According to the Otago Daily Times, Smithey’s appeal was denied by Justice Rachel Dunningham at the High Court in Christchurch earlier this month. The judge ruled against permanently expunging Smithey’s record and freeing her from prosecution. In March of this year, the professional rider pleaded guilty to a charge of animal cruelty in District Court and was sentenced to pay a $1,650 fine and $130 in court fees.

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Smithey was riding a horse named “Solly” on February 25 of last year. When the horse began to act disobediently, the rider got off and began kicking the animal repeatedly in the knees. She hit him over the head with the reins and slapped him on the face and chest. The court heard that, while Solly suffered no bodily injury at the hands of the rider, he still exhibited painful and distressing behaviors after the occurrence. Smithey justified herself by stating that she was only attempting to get control of the horse since it was acting dangerously. She was also backed by an affidavit from someone identically engaged in a similar occurrence. Justice Dunningham, however, dismissed all of these allegations, saying that a “professional rider” would know how to humanely “deal with misbehaving horses.”

As the guilty were penalized and justice was done, this occurrence quickly spread across the community. This additionally assists in spreading the word that these creatures deserve humane treatment on par with that given to people.

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