HBO is rebuking claims made by PETA after a horse died on the set of The Gilded Age.
After a 22-year-old horse tragically passed away on the Nassau County set of the Christine Baranski-starring period drama June 28, animal rights group PETA called on HBO to conduct an internal investigation into the death.
"If it weren't for these whistleblowers, the apparent death of this vulnerable horse would likely have been swept under the rug," PETA's Kathy Guillermo said in a statement July 7. "PETA is reminding HBO that watchful, compassionate people can be found on every set and is urging it to stop using horses before someone else dies in its productions."
In their statement, PETA alleged that the horse had "possible health issues" and had "sustained head trauma and was seen frothing at the mouth."
However, HBO pushed back at the claims made by PETA and argued that the horse's death was unavoidable.
"HBO was saddened to learn that on June 28, during filming on the set of The Gilded Age, a horse collapsed and died, likely of natural causes, according to a veterinarian's preliminary findings," the network said in a statement to E! News. "The safety and well-being of animals on all our productions is a top priority, and the producers of The Gilded Age work with American Humane to ensure full compliance with all safety precautions."
The network claims to have followed all of the proper precautions and a better understanding of what exactly happened will come in time.
"Following AHA's [American Humane Association] recommendation, the horse was transported to a facility for a full necropsy," HBO said. "AHA has interviewed all involved personnel, and full necropsy results are pending."
According to Deadline, the horse, who had experience in the industry, began filming a scene 15 minutes after a one-hour rest period. As for the scene in question? The publication said the shot, which took place on a days in the 70s, included a carriage and two passengers.
After the horse collapsed, filming was wrapped for the day.
In their statement, PETA made reference to the 2012 deaths of three horses on the set of HBO's Dustin Hoffman horse-racing drama Luck.
At the time, Barbara Casey, who worked as the director of production for the American Humane Association's film and television unit for 13 years, sued AHA, HBO and the show's producer, Stewart Productions, claiming they tried to cover up the alleged abuse and safety violations.
HBO denied the allegations and said they took "every precaution to ensure that our horses were treated humanely and with the utmost care" and Casey eventually dropped her claims against the network and Stewart Productions.
Casey filed an amended complaint against AHA—which contained allegations the organization called "inflammatory, misleading and untrue"—and it was settled in December 2014. No terms of the agreement were revealed.
"We had hoped HBO might have learned something from that experience: namely, that horses aren't props," PETA said about the Gilded Age incident. "They're sensitive animals who can be startled easily, and they must be gradually accustomed to the changing conditions on a set. They should not be used in film or television productions at all."
The second season of The Gilded Age is expected to premiere on HBO in early 2023.