Chandigarh Prohibits Manufacture and Trade of Illegal Spiked Bits Used to Harm Horses Following PETA India’s Appeal

Following an appeal from PETA India, the Chandigarh Department of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries directed the medical officer of health for the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and the deputy superintendent of police to uphold the prohibition of the use, manufacture, and trade of illegal spiked bits, which are used to control horses. The sub-divisional magistrate and president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are among those copied into the circular.

Photo of white horse used for horse rides for tourist entertainment tied up with spiked bit and head in hyperflexion, Mahabaleshwar, India, for free image download

Spiked bits sink deep into horses’ mouths and cut their lips and tongues, causing extreme pain and lifelong damage. Rule 8 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, framed under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, prohibits the use of “any spiked stick or bit, harness or yoke with spikes, knobs or projections or any sharp tackle or equipment”, yet spiked bits are commonly used to control horses forced to work at weddings, give rides, haul carriages, and lug goods.

Recently, the governments of Andaman and Nicobar, Goa, Gujarat, Ladakh, and Meghalaya also issued letters urging action on PETA India’s request to prohibit the manufacture and trade of spiked bits.

PETA India has conducted enforcement actions with police in Chandigarh, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Punjab, seizing more than 800 spiked bits in the past year alone.

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