PETA is calling for HBO to conduct an internal investigation into the death of a “23-year-old” horse with “possible health issues” during production of The Gilded Age‘s second season.
The death is reported to have occurred in New York’s Nassau County last week after the horse “sustained head trauma and was seen frothing at the mouth,” according to reports from a PETA whistleblower.
Deadline has reached out to HBO and Universal TV for comment and will update the story when available.
“If it weren’t for these whistleblowers, the apparent death of this vulnerable horse would likely have been swept under the rug,” PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo said in a statement on Thursday. “PETA is reminding HBO that watchful, compassionate people can be found on every set and is urging it to stop using horses before someone else dies in its productions.”
In a letter to HBO Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys, PETA laments the loss of another equine following three deaths on the set of the series Luck in 2012. The horse-raising drama was subsequently canceled.
“These animals were unfit, arthritic, drugged, and pushed beyond their capabilities,” the letter reads in part. “Many weren’t accustomed to film sets and had received no
training but were retired racehorses. We had hoped HBO might have learned something from that experience: namely, that horses aren’t props. They’re sensitive animals who can be startled easily, and they must be gradually accustomed to the changing conditions on a set. They should not be used in film or television productions at all.”