JAMMU, Oct. 1
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have seized 140 metal spiked bits allegedly being used on horses in Katra and Shiv Khori, stepping up enforcement against equipment designed to control animals by inflicting pain during tourist rides and other commercial activities.
The Animal Husbandry Department, Jammu, carried out the operation in collaboration with PETA India as part of an awareness and enforcement drive in the two major pilgrimage destinations of Reasi district.
Officials said each confiscated spiked bit was replaced with a smooth, painless alternative, allowing horse operators to continue handling their animals without using equipment considered harmful.
Spiked bits are fitted inside a horse’s mouth and are used by handlers to control the animal. The devices seized during the operation contain metal spikes capable of pressing against sensitive tissues inside the mouth, potentially causing pain and injury when pressure is applied.
Their use on horses, mules and other draught and pack animals violates Rule 8 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, according to the official handout.
The enforcement drive is particularly relevant in Katra and Shiv Khori, where horses and other pack animals are used extensively to transport pilgrims and tourists along routes where walking can be physically demanding.
Katra serves as the base for pilgrims travelling to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, while Shiv Khori attracts large numbers of devotees to its cave shrine in Reasi district.
Animal Husbandry Department Jammu Director Dr Yugal Kishore said tourism and other commercial activities should not be conducted at the cost of animal welfare.
He described the use of spiked bits as a cruel practice and said the operation was intended both to prevent abuse and provide relief to horses being subjected to the devices.
The replacement of the equipment rather than its seizure alone was an important part of the initiative. Horse operators were provided with smooth bits intended to demonstrate that animals can be managed without equipment designed to cause pain.
PETA India Policy Associate Chumki Dutta said spiked bits control horses through pain and called on owners to adopt humane alternatives.
The organisation said misconceptions among some handlers that painful equipment is necessary to control horses remain one of the reasons such devices continue to be used despite restrictions.
PETA India Senior Manager of Mechanisation Projects Mahesh Tyagi said greater awareness among operators needs to be accompanied by enforcement of the existing prohibition.
The organisation has been working with animal husbandry departments and police authorities in different parts of the country to identify and confiscate spiked bits and encourage handlers to switch to less harmful equipment.
The Jammu drive combines those two approaches.
By confiscating 140 devices, authorities have taken direct enforcement action against their use. At the same time, replacing them with smooth bits is intended to encourage operators to adopt alternative methods rather than return to prohibited equipment.
The initiative also highlights the broader issue of animal welfare at pilgrimage and tourist destinations where horses, ponies and mules remain an important means of transport.
Such animals can spend long periods carrying passengers or loads over steep routes, making appropriate equipment, veterinary care and handling practices particularly important.
Authorities have not provided details of whether penalties were imposed on individual horse operators from whom the 140 devices were seized.
The available information also does not specify how many animals were examined during the operation or whether any horses required veterinary treatment for injuries associated with the equipment.
The immediate focus of the drive was on removing the prohibited bits and raising awareness among operators.
PETA India has separately encouraged tourists to consider mechanised transport and other animal-free alternatives where they are available.
For destinations such as Katra and Shiv Khori, however, the continuing use of horses and pack animals means enforcement of animal welfare standards remains an immediate requirement.
The seizure sends a clear message to operators that traditional handling practices are still subject to animal-protection laws, irrespective of how long particular equipment may have been in use.
With 140 spiked bits removed and replaced with smooth alternatives, the authorities are seeking to combine enforcement with behavioural change among handlers.
The longer-term test will be whether inspections continue and whether operators permanently move away from equipment that controls horses by causing pain.
