An equestrian center manager in court for animal abuse

This Tuesday, the owner of an equestrian center located in Manche found himself facing justice at the Coutance court for facts dating back to the end of 2023.

As our colleagues at West Francethe man had been filmed by a former employee mistreating two of his ponies. On the video, he could be seen giving blows with a metal rasp to the muzzle of the animal which had a bloody nose. We also see him pinching the rump of the second horse.

A “serious” manager

Shared on social networks, the video of this abuse quickly created a buzz, racking up more than 700,000 views. Several associations then stepped up to the plate so that the man could be tried for animal abuse. In court, a year after the events, the manager explains that he does not condone what he did, while explaining that a video of a few seconds does not show the entire context of the facts.

Described by many witnesses as someone who is “serious” and very attached to security, the man is also described as being “very tough” at times. The prosecutor requested a warning sentence, which corresponds to a fine of 500 euros. The deliberations will be delivered next month.