Riya acted after finding a horse, whom she named Rajiv, collapsed from exhaustion on the side of the road. Rajiv, who was dehydrated, emaciated and had sores all over his body, died several days after being rescued. Rajiv is just one of many horses forced to give rides under the hot sun on the beaches of Mumbai. The horses are made to run fast, cruelly beaten with whips and worked for hours without any breaks for cooling down, food or even a drop of water.
Horses suffering from heat stress and dehydration can die in just a few hours.
Carriage horses also routinely suffer at the hands of untrained drivers who do not recognise lameness or do not care to seek veterinary treatment or remove an injured or sick horse from service for even a few days. Please urge your family and friends to refuse horse rides and join Riya in writing to the Mayor of Bombay, demanding that he enforce the Bombay Police Act and immediately act to get horses off the beach.