Viral horse-dragging video in Misamis Oriental draws condemnation

February 5, 2026 – 4:43 PM

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A representative from the

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

called out the owner of a horse spotted being dragged behind a moving pickup truck in

Misamis Oriental.

video

showing the horse being dragged along a curved stretch of Dragon Tail in the town of Claveria went viral, capturing the animal running while tied behind the vehicle.

Shiru Moto

, one of the motorists who witnessed the incident, said he first saw the horse while traveling from Gingoog City and was shocked to see it again in Claveria, an adjacent municipality.

“Nakakaawa talaga. Napakaraming kurbada roon, pa-baba at pa-akyat, pero hindi talaga inintindi ng truck driver ang kalagayan ng kabayo. Pagdating sa Dragon Tail, doon na namin nakita na hindi na kinaya ng kabayo, nakahiga na ito at hirap nang huminga,” he said in an

interview

Another scene showed the horse lying on the road while the vehicle dragging it had its hazard lights on. The animal was also seen catching its breath after the ordeal.

Social media users decried the incident, tagging animal rights groups and calling out what they saw as horse abuse.

“Towards the end of the video, makikita natin na nag-collapse talaga ‘yung kabayo and it’s very obvious it is from exhaustion,” PETA Senior Campaigner

Jana Sevilla

said in an

interview

“Cruel ba ‘to na maituturing? Yes, kasi hindi naman natin dapat pinapagod ng ganyan ‘yung mga kabayo. Hindi natin sila dapat tinitignan bilang isang tila para bang isang makina. Ang mga kabayo ay mga gentle animals, very sensitive,” she added.

A veterinarian said the horse’s reaction at the end of the video indicated signs of exhaustion.

“‘Yung kanyang paghilata dun sa road is a really sign of exhaustion. Hindi normal ‘yung reaction ng kabayo, kasi in a normal setting ng training, pinagi-standby sila, standing position and resting position talaga,” veterinarian

Glenn Almera

said.

Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

also said that it is “ready to assist in the filing of the case,” adding that it could be a case of “maltreatment or torture.”

“Help prosecute animal cruelty,” it said.

Kabang, the horse

Reports

identified the horse as a three-year-old castrated male named

Kabang

, owned by

Jose Castro Jr.

who was also the driver of the truck in the video.

Castro said said the incident was part of a controlled training method he has used for more than ten years to care for horses. He added that Kabang is used for ranch work and trail-ride recreation and described himself as being “super close” to the animal.

“He’s very alive and walang any injury ang kabayo,” he said in an

interview

Castro also claimed that he was driving at only ten to 20 kilometers per hour while monitoring Kabang’s condition.

“Si Kabang kasi, around three to four years old na, so ideal time na talaga para mag-training. Tapos na kasi siya mag-training sa riding. Ngayon, tine-test ko naman ‘yung endurance niya and, at the same time, ‘yung familiarity niya sa road,” he said, saying that he trained the horse with “maximum care.”

“Slowly, ini-introduce mo sila sa daan para hindi sila magulat; nilalakad mo, until such time na nilalagay ko sa moving vehicle, so, of course, with maximum care. A horse can have a maximum speed of 71 kilometers per hour, and they can travel a maximum of 120 km per day,” Castro continued.

The horse owner added that Kabang only rested and was not harmed after the video was taken.

“Ang nangyari, humiga ‘yung kabayo. Nagpahinga. Ang kabayo talaga, isa sa resting positions nila ay para talagang patay kung tingnan mo,” he said.

“It was taken out of context; sana hinintay nila ng ilang minutes. Nakita naman nilang tumayo,” the owner added.

Castro said that Kabang did not sustain any injuries and is receiving regular check-ups.

“If they think there is an abuse, then they have all the rights to do that. Kilala ko ‘yung kabayo ko. Alam ko kung ano ‘yung capacity niya,” the owner said.