Tired of horsing around.
Haykal Salomon Lorena shared a photo in his Facebook account how he witnessed a poor, exhausted horse with a kalesa attached to him lying down on a street in Intramuros.
Some netizens posted in the comments section that the horse passed out from a heatstroke, others suggested that it was simply fatigue caused by carrying passengers.
Lorena shares to WHEN IN MANILA the full story behind the photo.
I was actually out with my friends for a photo walk around Intramuros. We found ourselves at Fort Santiago area where the kalesas were lined up. There were many people, including tourists. We heard something and saw that the horse was down. It was weak, and its mouth was foaming. A personnel from there moved in and blocked us and told us not to take pictures as we may upload it on Facebook.
Someone tried to make the horse stand but initially failed as it was really weak and lied down again. He then used the rope to whip it to force it to stand. I felt deep concern for the horse. A tourist bus also arrived then, so we were driven away by security there to clear the area – so we could no longer take pictures or videos of the scene. Last July 12, my friends and IÂ were talking. They tagged me about a Facebook post regarding another kalesa incident that happened last year, July 7, 2017. It moved me to post the photo online. We actually didn’t expect it to go big — but here we are.
Photo from Haykal Salomon Lorena
The incident affected me. Reflections on society and how we treat animals. From taking photos of heritage and culture leading to this photo. I read that the Intramuros administration acted on the matter and is now talking with PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society). I am hopeful that owners of these horses will have more care. They work together for living, so they need to take care of each other.
I think that this incident is an eye-opener for people, the community and the government. This would open up discussions for policies and hopefully change for the betterment of all.
What are your thoughts on this issue? Let us know in the comments below!
