In the series premiere of HBO’s Luck, David Milch and Michael Mann’s unsparing look at the grit beneath the glamour of thoroughbred racing, a horse pulling away from the pack and just strides away from the finish line snaps its leg and has to be euthanized on the track. It was a heartbreaking scene, made even more so by the recent news that at least two real horses had been injured during the filming of the series — though not during this particular sequence — and subsequently had to be put down.
Sharp-eyed viewers may have noticed that the pilot credits did not have the standard “No animals were harmed during the filming of this program” stamp of approval from the American Humane Association, which monitored the production. PETA brought attention to the issue last week, with a report of the deaths and claims that they had been rebuffed when they approached HBO with their concerns before filming. “Perhaps if producers had considered the proven safety protocols that we would have suggested, these horses would still be alive,” they said.
HBO initially responded with a statement first posted by the New York Observer, saying, “After the second accident, racing was suspended while the production worked with American Humane Association and racing industry experts to implement additional protocols specifically for horseracing sequences. The protocols included but were not limited to the hiring of an additional veterinarian and radiography of the legs of all horses being used by the production. Both HBO and AHA are committed to ensuring that all necessary safety procedures are in place and being implemented.”
Source: Full article @ Entertainment Weekly
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