Horse Dies on Amazon’s ‘The Rings of Power’ Set, PETA Calls for Use of CGI Animals

A tragedy has occurred on the set of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power — a production horse perished during rehearsals for a season two scene.

The horse died March 21 of cardiac arrest, the studio confirmed.

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“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a production horse died,” an Amazon Studios spokesperson said. “The incident took place in the morning whilst the horse was being exercised prior to rehearsals. The trainer was not in costume and filming had yet to commence. Both a veterinarian and a representative of the American Humane Association were present at the time. The independent necropsy has confirmed that the horse died of cardiac failure.”

The horse was one of about 30 on set on that day, all supplied by respected outfitter The Devil’s Horsemen, which has provided horses for many shows, including Game of Thrones. This is apparently the first on-set animal fatality in the company’s 50-year history. The horse is said to have shown no prior health problems and was standing among 20 other horses before it died.

The animal rights organization PETA issued a statement calling on the show to “stop lording over animals.”