According to The New Zealand Herald, castration of horses by lay persons is a recurring problem in the country. Two individuals have been convicted of the procedure in recent weeks, and one horse has died following its castration.


“Opotiki justice of the peace George Hata, 69, was convicted in the Tauranga District Court yesterday (Oct. 3) of castrating a 9-month-old colt without reasonable cause,” said the Herald report. “His conviction follows that of Northland man Maxwell Joseph Lee Anderson, 37, who was last month found guilty of castrating a 2-year-old colt without anesthetic.”


Another individual was convicted of illegal equine castration in 2000 and was ordered to pay $3,000 (NZD, roughly $1,980 USD) in fines and costs.


Anderson’s horse died two days after the procedure, while Hata’s horse survived

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