A video showing a jockey repeatedly striking a horse at Assiniboia Downs in Winnipeg has renewed calls from an animal rights group for mandatory surveillance cameras in private stable areas.
The footage, recorded in 2023, was recently shared with Animal Justice, a Canadian animal law advocacy organization. Kaitlyn Mitchell, the group's director of legal advocacy, described the video as "hard to watch," adding the horse appeared terrified and unable to escape.
Animal Justice says the jockey was charged with animal cruelty, but the charges were stayed. A one-year court order was issued in March 2025 limiting the rider's contact with animals outside of work.
In a statement, Assiniboia Downs said it was "extremely disappointed" and takes equine safety seriously, noting the barn area has a security-controlled entrance and daily patrols, but did not address the absence of stall cameras.
Animal Justice is now calling for mandatory security cameras in Manitoba racetrack stables, arguing they would deter abuse and help regulators monitor activity. The group notes that other jurisdictions, including parts of British Columbia, already require cameras in restricted areas, though B.C. does not mandate them in individual stalls.
In Ontario, following a 2017 report, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission said it would prioritize equine welfare and consider increasing surveillance cameras on the backstretch and in race paddocks. Saskatchewan and Alberta have no specific stable surveillance requirements.