Great news from Spain – a Spanish Bullfighter has become the first to be reprimanded and fined for abuse of a horse. Admittedly the fine is negligible, but hopefully this will set a precedent.

This is the link, and a google translation of the text follows;

http://noticias.lainformacion.com/asuntos-sociales/jose-antonio-canales-el-primer-torero-condenado-por-maltrato-animal-en-espana_BBERMZ5bZ8NXOTUcPSczC/

Bullfighter Jose Antonio channels Rivera was sentenced today by the Magistrate’s Court No. 1 of Puerto Real (Cádiz), payment of 600 euros as “criminally responsible for a lack of animal abuse” author.
The right-hander has recognized the facts against him and that had been denounced by the Observatory on courts and Defensa Animal before the public prosecutor of environment in Cadiz.
“May have recorded, is the first time that a bullfighter has been condemned in our country by animal abuse”, say from the Observatory to lainformacion.com, and emphasize that it is a “judgment that does not admit appeal”.
The case goes back to last February when, in one of the blocks of a riding club in the province of Cádiz, a horse suffered various injuries on his snout. Animal had bleeding and deep wounds with Crescent above his nose. According to eyewitnesses, they brought their cause in the use of the so-called “living cavesson”irons. According to experts, these gadgets that are used for dressage, violently oppress the animal so that the minimum movement contrary to the will of the rider, are nailed to the horse the sharp teeth of iron in its snout, a particularly sensitive area since it has many nerve endings.
“It’s about abusive and cruel punishment instruments made with spikes of iron that are placed directly on the skin of the muzzle of the horse,” explained from the Observatory. “Own Andalusian Equestrian Federation pursues them because they consider that nowadays there are other methods of Taming horses that don’t involve pain and blood”.