Concerns over animal welfare in horse racing: NSPCA's #ReinInThePain campaign
Horse racing has been placed in the spotlight as the NSPCA highlights concerns of animal cruelty.
Image: File picture
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has raised urgent concerns about the cruelty towards horses in racing after meeting with the National Horseracing Authority (NHA).
The NSPCA has launched its #ReinInThePain campaign, highlighting the suffering of horses, which includes the use of tongue-ties, excessive crop use, racing underage horses, and all practices that compromise the animals' welfare.
The Manager of the Communications Unit, Jacques Peacock, said while the NHA stated "everything we do is for horse welfare," the NSPCA remains deeply concerned about whether a regulatory body so reliant on the success of the commercial side of horse racing can consistently and objectively enforce animal welfare standards. During the meeting, the NHA suggested that the NSPCA change its official Statement of Policy, which opposes animal racing, to "engage productively” with them.
Consulting Veterinarian of the NSPCA, Dr Bryce Marock, said: “As the custodians of animal welfare in South Africa, we cannot and will not compromise our legal mandate to protect animals simply to make collaboration easier.”It said a troubling pattern also emerged in the meeting - one of shifting responsibility rather than ensuring direct accountability.
“The NHA has effectively requested that the NSPCA submit further research to justify its welfare concerns. Calling for ‘more research’ is a diversion from the core issue: meaningful enforcement and reform. The focus must now be on action, not justification. The NHA has acknowledged the concerns and committed to consultation,” Peacock said.
The NPSCA highlighted another major point of concern: enforcement. According to the organisation, when it asked the NHA why no criminal cases have, to the NSPCA’s knowledge, been opened by them against jockeys or trainers who contravene the Animals Protection Act (APA) through overuse of the crop or other welfare violations, the NHA stated that it first exhausts internal disciplinary processes before taking the issue further.
“This is not acceptable. When laws are broken, criminal charges must be laid, and internal processes cannot take precedence over national legislation. Passing this responsibility onto the NSPCA, as was suggested, is an abdication of duty from a body that positions itself as the guardian of welfare during horse racing,” Peacock said.
The NHA acknowledged that while they are members of several international racing committees, they may deviate from such international standards. According to the NSPCA, this creates an opportunity to lead by example and adopt more progressive, welfare-focused rules in South Africa - putting the welfare of horses first rather than waiting for international consensus.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from the NHA to include the NSPCA in its next Rules Committee consultation process, allowing the NSPCA to re-table its concerns and proposals. The NSPCA welcomed this step and said it would continue to engage constructively, but its position remains firm:
- Stricter penalties must be enforced for crop overuse, including criminal prosecution when warranted.
- Harmful devices such as tongue-ties must be banned.
- Horses must not be raced before skeletal maturity.
- Welfare considerations must take priority over commercial gain.
“The welfare of horses is not negotiable. South Africa’s animal protection laws are clear, and they must be upheld - not just within racing, but across all industries that use animals. The NSPCA remains committed to ensuring meaningful, enforceable changes are made to protect racehorses, and we will continue to advocate tirelessly until the pain is truly reined in,” Dr Marock said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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