Abused horse rescued, named Chester in Depok

A brown working horse, of which a video of it being abused by its owner went viral on social media, has been rescued and relocated to the Arthayasa Stables and Country Club in Limo, Depok, West Java.

Jakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN) chairperson Benfica said the owner, a horse-drawn buggy driver, had been persuaded to relinquish the horse, which was later named Chester.

"We tried to negotiate and educate the owner. And finally he gave up the horse," Benfica said on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

Benfica said that even though Chester was in a good condition, he would not be given back to the owner as he was advanced in age and would be retired.

"We promise to take care of Chester. He has to be in a sanctuary, whether at Arthayasa or some place else," she said.

Benfica said she deplored the lack of attention by the local administration concerning the physical abuse of horses.

"To minimize such incidents, the animal husbandry agency must educate horse owners, especially horse-drawn buggy drivers, on how to treat their horses. The agency also needs to create standard operational procedure," she said.

A one-minute video recently went viral on social media, showing a horse laying on its side in the street while its owner, wearing a black T-shirt and short pants, repeatedly whipped the horse's head. (yon)