Concern has been raised surrounding the welfare of a small pony used in an advert for the new series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
The ITV show shared footage of a mock battle scene with TV presenters Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.
Ant is riding a diminutive Shetland-type pony while Dec is on a larger grey horse.
“I think we’ve got the wrong horses,” states Ant, to which Dec replies, “I don’t know what you mean”, in the tongue in cheek clip (see below).
Shocked viewers shared their concern for the pony.
“Disgusting animal abuse, far too much weight for that poor pony,” commented one of the many Facebook users condemning the behaviour.
“Absolute cruelty to that pony,” added another. “Could have injured its back.”
Equine charity World Horse Welfare stressed rider weight was an important issue.
“We are not aware of the details of this piece of filming and how it was undertaken but we have been stressing for many years that horses and ponies should only be asked to carry an appropriate weight,” Tony Tyler, Deputy Chief Executive, told Your Horse.
A spokesman for I’m a Celebrity said the pony’s welfare was a priority, and the animal in question was “professionally trained to work in the film and television industry”.
“Throughout the shoot the horse master and a team of expert handlers were on location at all times,” he said.
“The safety and wellbeing of the horses and pony used for filming were of utmost priority to everyone.”
The advert continues with Ant and Dec off the horses at a campfire, planning for battle and raising a Welsh flag.
The series, traditionally filmed in Australia, will this year be filmed in Gwrych Castle near Abergele in Wales, as it was in 2020.
