Recurring acts of violence by a breeder against horses: One Voice files a complaint
The images are shocking. In the Sarthe region, a breeder and trainer of Arabian thoroughbreds was filmed on numerous occasions beating panicked horses who were unable to escape as the blows rained down on them relentlessly. The man has already been convicted by the courts for domestic violence. At the end of December 2025, One Voice filed a complaint with the court in Le Mans on behalf of the horses. They must be brought to safety, and the link between violence against humans and against animals must finally be recognised.
In videos taken by whistleblowers, horses are being kicked in the stomach, punched and whipped while being held firmly by the reins… Completely terrified, they have no way of escaping the extreme brutality of their tormentor. Yet it is not for lack of trying to escape, always in vain, as in the case of the pony Happy, for whom we filed a complaint in 2023. One of them is limping, and we can only wonder what injuries the others have suffered in addition to the psychological trauma endured. According to witnesses, this abuse is not unusual. On the contrary, it is an integral part of the breeder’s “method”.
Both animal and human victims
The man was convicted in 2023 for domestic violence against his ex-partner. Why are we not surprised? Since 2007, we have been working tirelessly to raise awareness of the obvious link between interpersonal violence and violence towards animals, a link documented by numerous studies. We think of Léa, a little dog traumatised by the sexual abuse by a paedophile, but also of Django, a young mastiff crossbreed shot by an individual who had been threatening his family with racist and misogynistic insults, and Mirsou, a little cat brutally killed by the ex-partner of the woman with whom he lived. It is vital that acts of cruelty against animals are finally taken seriously and recognised as indicators of potential danger to humans as well. The FBI, for example, has been doing this for decades.
For the tortured horses, we have taken the case to the court in Le Mans. We hope for a sentence that reflects the intolerable acts they have suffered. Sign our petition to grant horses and ponies protected status as domestic animals.