Horse dies on set of Amazon's "The Lord of the Rings" series, PETA condemns animal exploitation in filming

 

A horse involved in the production of Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series died on set in the UK due to cardiac arrest. The horse was one of about 30 on set supplied by The Devil's Horsemen. Both a veterinarian and a representative of the American Humane Association were present at the time of the incident. PETA condemned the horse's death, urging the studio to "stop lording over animals" and calling on the show's creators to use CGI, mechanical rigs, or other humane methods instead of exploiting real horses for their art. The Rings of Power has been filming its second season for months in the UK and has announced many new cast members joining the series. The first season's eight episodes were released last spring and became the streamer's most-watched original series, with over 24 billion minutes streamed. This is reportedly the first on-set animal fatality in The Devil's Horsemen's 50-year history, and the horse is said to have shown no prior health problems before its death.