Jharkhand bans spiked bits on horses

Ranchi: The state govt has banned the manufacture, sale and use of traded spiked bits, used to control horses, in a bid to end cruelty towards them. Kiran Kumar Pasi, the director of animal husbandry department cum member secretary of the state animal welfare board, on Wednesday told TOI that a letter in this regard, dated March 19, has been shot to all the districts to ensure proper implementation. Pasi has also asked the districts to conduct raids in this regard.
The move, Pasi said, comes in the wake of the Centre's existing rules. The Animal Welfare Board of India also announced a nationwide ban on such practices to end cruelty on horses in the past.
The govts of Nagaland, MP, Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Ladakh, Rajasthan, UP and Meghalaya have banned traded spiked bits.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, which has been pressing for the ban with different states, welcomed the move "This action will go a long way towards ending cruelty to horses in Jharkhand," said PETA India advocacy associate Tushar Kol in a statement
Compared to normal bits, spiked bits sink deep into horses' mouths and cut their lips and tongues, causing extreme pain and lifelong damage. Rule 8 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, framed under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, prohibits the use of "any spiked stick or bit, harness or yoke with spikes, knobs or projections or any sharp tackle or equipment". "Yet, spiked bits are commonly used to control horses forced to work at weddings, give rides, haul carriages, and lug goods," PETA said.