(Beth Clifton collage)
Mare and foal died from “ruptured uterine artery” moments after violent ride
SAN DIEGO, California––“The San Diego Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement team has concluded their investigation into the tragic death of a 16-year-old pregnant horse at the rodeo held at Petco Park,” the society announced on March 6, 2025, but the findings suggest they found more evidence of bulls having been in the San Diego Padres’ infield
“On the evening of January 11, 2025,” the San Diego Humane Society posted, in a message correctly dated on Facebook but backdated to February 11, 2025 on the San Diego Humane Society website, “the horse participated in the saddle bronc competition.
“There were no visible signs of injury during the event,” the San Diego Humane Society said, though observers familiar with horses should have seen the horse was in advanced pregnancy, “but approximately 15 minutes after competing, the horse began shaking.
See San Diego Rodeo, SF live markets, & the last refuge of scoundrels in California. (Beth Clifton collage)
Humane officers responded to mare’s death instead of preventing her use
“A call for veterinary assistance was placed immediately and our humane officers, along with on-site veterinarians, responded within minutes,” the San Diego Humane Society recounted.
“Tragically, the horse collapsed and died before any treatment could be provided,” but the most appropriate treatment, horse experts consulted by ANIMALS 24-7 agreed, would have been to keep the mare quiet at home, not to truck her to a saddle bronc competition.
“Our team launched an investigation immediately into the cause of this tragic loss,” the San Diego Humane Society claimed, “and whether criminal negligence played a role.
Tim Eastman, DVM.
Third trimester of pregnancy
“A necropsy of the horse determined that she was in her third trimester of pregnancy, and that the cause of death was a ruptured uterine artery.
“As part of the investigation, our humane officers worked with two forensic veterinarians, as well as the lab veterinarians who performed the necropsy,” the San Diego Humane Society rattled on.
The necropsy, incidentally, was performed by Tim Eastman, DVM, of Salinas, California, whose history of failing to identify alleged cruelty at rodeos stretches back decades.
(See SHARK video shows dogs baiting bulls at Calif. Salinas Rodeo 2019.)
“Our officers also traveled out to the ranch the horse came from to investigate if there were any legal concerns with husbandry or care of the horses at that location,” the San Diego Humane Society mentioned, but instead of junketing, closely viewing video of the performance might have been more to the point.
Bryan Pease. (Beth Clifton collage)
“No probable cause”
“After thorough investigation, there is no probable cause to bring charges against the rodeo or horse owner,” the San Diego Humane Society asserted, a finding found questionable by, among many others, San Diego attorney Bryan Pease, who has an almost 30-year history of winning cruelty cases.
“It is unclear whether participating in the saddle bronc competition directly caused the horse’s death,” the San Diego Humane Society claimed.
But consider that a foal in the third trimester before birth already has four hooves. Readers who have themselves given birth might imagine bouncing on a trampoline while bearing a fetus wearing spike heels.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Horse manure does not make good whitewash
Scoffed Pease, “The whitewashed San Diego Humane Society report claims this condition [a ruptured uterine artery] ‘may occur spontaneously.’
“San Diego Humane fails to mention,” Pease pointed out, “that each horse used in this saddle bronc event had a tight ‘bucking strap’ tied around the abdomen, which forces the horse to buck wildly against the painful apparatus. Clearly this is what caused the ruptured uterine artery in an 8-month pregnant horse.”
Imagine wearing a tight girdle while bouncing on a trampoline while bearing a fetus wearing spike heels.
Posted Pease to Facebook, “Videos taken by the Animal Protection & Rescue League,” which Pease himself heads, “of each horse being abused in the January 11, 2025 saddle bronc event at the Padres Rodeo are here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Iubx0sAC3A
(Beth Clifton collage)
Lawsuit seeks horse’s identity
“San Diego Humane, the San Diego Padres, and C5 Rodeo are refusing to identify which of these horses is the one who died shortly after the video was taken,” Pease said, but viewers may hazard an educated guess.
The Animal Protection & Rescue League and Showing Animals Respect & Kindness “have a pending unfair business practices lawsuit against the Padres and C5 Rodeo,” Pease mentioned, “and will be obtaining this information as part of the lawsuit.”
The San Diego Humane Society piled the self-evident bull and horse manure higher with a question-and-answer postscript.
Circle shows where 2018 San Dimas Rodeo worker is allegedly electroshocking pregnant mare on the other side of her neck.
(From SHARK video.)
“Common for pregnant horses to participate in saddle bronc competitions”
“While San Diego Humane Society and many animal lovers stand in opposition to this practice,” the Q&A said, failing to identify any such stand taken by the San Diego Humane Society in at least 145 years, “it is common for pregnant horses to participate in saddle bronc competitions.”
No, it is not. Mares rather than stallions are used in saddle bronc competition because mares can more easily be stabled together before and after an event.
But ANIMALS 24-7 spent hours of online searching for any mention of a pregnant mare identified as such participating in a saddle bronc competition, anywhere, ever.
We found only one: Showing Animals Respect & Kindness in 2018 videotaped a pregnant mare allegedly being electroshocked at the San Dimas Rodeo, 116 miles north of San Diego via I-5.
(See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-gt2ACErFM.)
(Beth Clifton collage)
“A pregnant horse should not be used in a rodeo”
NewspaperArchive.com, including the content of most newspapers published in the U.S. since 1704, includes a report of the San Diego Humane Society, founded on March 10, 1880, having successfully prosecuted “overriding a colt” in a rodeo as early as June 9, 1880.
But NewspaperArchive.com does not appear to include any mention of a pregnant mare, a mare with foal, or a mare of any similar description, being used in any rodeo anywhere in any manner.
Finding nothing through search engines, ANIMALS 24-7 turned to Google AI.
Offered Google AI, “According to most equine experts, a pregnant horse should not be used in a rodeo, as the strenuous activity and sudden movements can pose significant risks to both the mare and her unborn foal, especially in the later stages of pregnancy; while some light exercise may be beneficial during pregnancy, rodeo events are considered too intense and potentially dangerous for a pregnant mare.”
(Beth Clifton collage)
“Pregnancy is considered performance-enhancing”
“It is standard practice in the rodeo industry for bucking horses to be pregnant,” the San Diego Humane Society alleged, “because they are more focused.
“When horses are in heat, they don’t focus and are less able to compete,” the San Diego Humane Society contended,” neglecting to mention that a saddle bronc, even a mare, need not either be in heat or pregnant.
In fact, ANIMALS 24-7 did find accounts of former championship bucking mares successfully foaling new generations of bucking saddle broncs––but only after being retired from rodeo use.
“Sadly, pregnancy is considered performance-enhancing,” the San Diego Humane Society reiterated, failing to identify any source for the claim.
“However,” the San Diego Humane Society at last conceded, “it is not common for horses to be in the third trimester of pregnancy when competing.
Rodeo injury report by Tim Eastman, DVM.
“Owner did not know the mare was eight months pregnant”
“In this case, the owner states that he was unaware of how far the horse’s pregnancy had progressed,” although most horse owners are acutely aware of their horses’ breeding cycles, “and staff on-site did not observe obvious signs of late stage pregnancy.
“The forensic veterinarian reviewing the footage was also unable to immediately determine that the horse was in her third trimester, and it was only determined postmortem,” the San Diego Humane Society said, but in view of what else Tim Eastman has failed to observe and confirm, even when clearly shown in Showing Animals Respect & Kindness video, skepticism may be in order.
“Tragically, the foal did not survive,” the Q&A continued. “In addition to the rupture of the uterine artery, which was the direct cause of the horse’s death, the uterus itself ruptured. Medical examiners could not confirm whether the uterus rupture contributed to the cause of death or took place postmortem.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Uterus of pregnant mare ruptures more easily
“During the necropsy, which was performed on Monday, January 13, 2025,” the Q&A detailed, “it was determined that the uterus was friable, meaning that it was more susceptible to damage. As mares have foals, the arteries around the uterus become more delicate and rupture more easily. It’s a possibility that the horse could have experienced a rupture prior to participating in the rodeo. It’s certainly possible that participating in the rodeo caused the rupture, but we cannot say for certain, and the injury could have happened regardless.”
But is not the mere fact that “As mares have foals, the arteries around the uterus become more delicate and rupture more easily” sufficient reason to keep a 16-year-old pregnant mare in her third trimester from even being taken for a long truck ride, let alone being ridden in a bucking event?
Eric Mills, Action for Animals
Eric Mills: “I find it difficult to believe that nobody knew”
“Animal cruelty in California does not need to be intentional or malicious to bring criminal charges. Under Penal Code §597,” the San Diego Humane Society admitted, “animal cruelty can be charged if someone intentionally, knowingly, or through criminal negligence causes harm to an animal. In the context of animal cruelty under California law, criminal negligence refers to behavior that is reckless, grossly careless, or demonstrates a disregard for the well-being of an animal.”
“We cannot prove definitively whether the horse’s participation in the rodeo directly contributed to her death or that anyone had knowledge that she was more pregnant than the assumed eight months, based on the horse owner’s breeding schedule,” the San Diego Humane Society said.
Responded Action for Animals coordinator Eric Mills, “I find it difficult to believe that nobody knew the mare was eight months pregnant. Surely that had more than a little to do with the horse’s death only minutes after leaving the rodeo arena. Somebody should be held liable for this avoidable death.”
Injured horse at the 2024 San Diego rodeo.
(From TikTok video)
“No laws were broken”
“No laws were broken when this pregnant horse and her foal died at Petco Park,” the San Diego Humane Society insisted, “nor were any laws broken when a horse was injured at last year’s rodeo,” though there seems to be no record of evidence being subpoenaed, including of the ultimate fate of the horse, let alone being submitted to the San Diego County district attorney.
“This incident — along with the injury of a horse during last year’s rodeo in San Diego, as well — reinforces our opposition to rodeos and the inherent risks they pose to animals,” the San Diego Humane Society said.
(See Shoveling the bull & horse manure after the San Diego Rodeo.)
(Beth Clifton collage)
Two years late & many dollars short
“The fact remains: two rodeos have been held in our city, and both resulted in animal injury and death,” the San Diego Humane Society acknowledged, nearly two years too late to have joined in the 2023 lawsuit brought by the Animal Protection & Rescue League and Showing Animals Respect & Kindness that could have prevented both.
“While the law does not currently prohibit rodeos, this is a policy issue that demands attention. No laws were broken, but a horse is dead,” the San Diego Humane Society concluded. “That is why we’re advocating for policy change in San Diego. We encourage city leaders to take action to ensure no rodeos are held within the City of San Diego in the future.”
So where has the San Diego Humane Society been, besides at 5500 Gaines St, San Diego, CA 92110, during almost two years of activist effort to either pass a San Diego rodeo ban or inspire the city to actually enforce a Petco Park licensing provision that prohibited animal events?
(Beth Clifton collage)
Pit bulls & pythons
As ANIMALS 24-7 has documented, San Diego Humane Society credibility has not been especially strong over the past decade.
First a newborn baby boy was killed on April 22, 2016 by a two-year-old pit bull named Polo, rehomed by the San Diego Humane Society six months earlier.
(See How did San Diego shelters respond after a newly rehomed pit bull killed a child?)
Then more than 300 guinea pigs, rabbits, and other small mammals were transferred on August 7, 2023 from the San Diego Humane Society to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, but the following day were relayed to a python breeder.
(See 318 missing small pets: San Diego Humane vs. HS of Southern Arizona and Cold, hard evidence re small mammals missing from humane societies.)
(Beth Clifton collage)
Lost “cat trial of the century”
On December 20, 2024, San Diego Superior Court Judge Katherine A. Bacal ruled that “return to field” of tame cats found at large, as practiced by the San Diego Humane Society, unlike the practice of “trap, neuter, release” of feral cats, violates California Penal Code section § 597s, which states simply that, “Every person who willfully abandons any animal is guilty of a misdemeanor.”
(See San Diego cat control trial verdict & L.A. shelter fine expose “no kill” failures.)
The San Diego Humane Society responded by announcing that it will do nothing to change procedures pending the outcome of an appeal.
(Beth Clifton collage)
The San Diego cat rescue charity Joanne’s Furry Friends in early January 2005 posted to Facebook that it urgently needed a home for a three-year-old previously spayed female cat with no hind claws, whom the San Diego Humane Society allegedly advised the finder to release into a neighborhood where the cat had been attacked by other cats.
Multiple prospective adopters stepped forward.
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