17/02/2026

IHP is releasing the video that shows the moment of the mare’s death last February 16, shortly before the start of Sa Sartiglia in Oristano. The video can be viewed here.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1419660269618867

IHP has obtained the images and collected testimonies about what happened: it will request access to the mare’s medical records, the certifications confirming that the required checks were carried out, and the results of the autopsy, reserving the right to take the most appropriate legal action.

“The video shows that the mare had clearly abnormal behavior,” says the president of IHP, Sonny Richichi. “For example, she falls behind the other horses, swerves, starts running again quickly because she is urged on, risks slipping, has a tense expression and wide-open eyes: that mare should have been stopped and examined. Instead, she is forcibly brought back close to the other two horses. Some witnesses told us that the mare had been showing clear signs of distress for quite some time beforehand: she was walking in an uncoordinated way and making completely abnormal movements. Why was she forced to continue? Why was she not immediately examined by a veterinarian? The veterinarian, moreover, cannot even be seen in the moments immediately after the collapse: where are the much-publicized welfare protocols?”

IHP has always maintained that these obsolete and violent events should be abolished: tradition can and must be revisited, ensuring respect for all sentient beings, including horses. What was seen in Oristano once again confirms the need to put an end to these anachronistic spectacles.