SINGAPORE – A horse-riding centre whose pony rides have taken centre stage at the 2023 Geylang Serai Ramadan bazaar is now at the centre of several complaints from members of the public.

For the first time, Gallop Stable has set up shop in the annual bazaar, offering activities such as pony rides, photo-taking sessions and feeding opportunities.

The bazaar, organised by a consortium made up of S-Lite Event Support, TLK Trade Fair and Events, and Enniche Global Trading, kicked off on March 17, and members of the public have since reached out to animal welfare organisations to express concern regarding the welfare of the ponies.

Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) co-chief executive Anbarasi Boopal told The Straits Times that Acres received five complaints from the public last weekend.

The concerns raised included using the ponies for entertainment as well as the animals still having to work at 11pm amid large crowds, heat and noise, said Ms Boopal.

There were also some complaints about birds on display.

Ms Boopal said Acres will be sending its concerns to the bazaar organisers, Gallop Stable and the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS).

She added: “We do not support the use of such animals purely for entertainment purposes, with little or no educational value.

“This is for reasons such as the crowd, noise, transport, heat and hours – which all could be avoided – particularly when there are opportunities already to have educational guided interactions at their own facilities.”

In response to queries from ST, AVS said that it had received feedback regarding the pony exhibition. It did not state the nature of the feedback.

“AVS takes animal welfare seriously and is looking into the feedback,” said AVS group director Jessica Kwok, adding that the event operator has been reminded to comply with the licensing conditions that have been issued.

These licensing conditions include ending the event according to the programme schedule of 10pm and ensuring the animals are given sufficient time to rest in between interaction sessions.

“We will continue to monitor the animal exhibition event and conduct checks for compliance,” she said.

Any licensee found breaching the licensing conditions will have enforcement action taken against them, she added.

Gallop Stable currently runs two stables, in Pasir Ris and Bukit Timah, offering a variety of horse-related activities such as riding lessons, pony rides and feeding, and trail rides.

Speaking to ST, its founder, who wanted to be known only as Mr Jackuda, said the six ponies at the stall work on rotation to ensure that each pony gets time to rest.

He added that the distance and length of the pony rides are limited.

Transportation of the ponies is done with licensed and approved horse trailers. Loading and unloading of the ponies, as well as their rest periods, are carried out in secluded areas that are not accessible to the public, Mr Jackuda said.

“On site, we have trained handlers throughout the activity to ensure the safety and well-being of the animals.”

Mr Jackuda said the ponies at the bazaar are Bajau ponies from Malaysia and are usually used for performances and events. They are adaptable to tropical weather.

He added that Gallop Stable has been operating for 20 years and that the ponies “provide a beneficial experience for children due to their friendly personalities”.

In response to a question on whether Gallop Stable would continue with the programme, Mr Jackuda said: “For the benefit of the majority of the supporters, the people who know our intention and purpose, we believe that Gallop should continue contributing to the people who believe in us.”

Gallop Stable was fined $9,000 for cruelty towards one of its horses in May 2017 after the company was found guilty of failing to provide adequate veterinary attention to a 17-year-old thoroughbred mare in 2013.

In 2018, the High Court dismissed its appeal against the conviction.

In response to queries, executive director of S-Lite Joyce Ang told ST that the main consideration in having animals present at the event was to allow children to have a better bond with animals.

“As part of the theme of the bazaar, the operator decided to introduce activities that promote family bonding and animal interaction to enhance the festive experiences, with the intention to let the children learn more about the animals,” she said.

Ms Ang added that prior to engaging Gallop Stable, the horse-riding centre had received approval from AVS to set up the stall, and were allowed to exhibit a maximum of six ponies and 15 birds at any one time.

Since receiving feedback from the media and the public, S-Lite has provided more fans, four air coolers and more rest time for ponies, and requested that Gallop Stable ensure regular checks were being conducted on the condition of the ponies, said Ms Ang.

She added that the bazaar will continue to have the pony rides due to overwhelming and positive responses from the public, especially families with young children.

“S-Lite will work closely with Gallop Stable to ensure that the pony rides are safe for both the ponies and the public,” Ms Ang said.