Animal activists in Serbia are protesting the proposal that hundreds of horses be sedated to allow the Rolling Stones to play a gig at their home.
The band's first ever show in Serbia is scheduled to take place at the Belgrade Hippodrome, a large racetrack and the largest fenced space in the city. However, around 300 horses live only metres from where the stage will be set up.Serbia's Organisation for Respect and Care of Animals (ORCA) have spoken out against the proposal that the horses be sedated. They are petitioning for the concert to be relocated.
Speaking to the Reuters news agency, Elvir Burazerovic, head of ORCA, said, "Research has shown that noise and vibrations are the strongest causes of stress to animals. Surely our big city has enough open spaces where even 150,000 people can fit in. We think the Hippodrome should be left to horses."
Burazerovic went on to explain that moving the horses to another location was out of the question.
The Rolling Stones played a show at the Churhcill Downs racetrack, home of the Kentucky Derby, in September last year. Horsemen at the track said the horses were not affected by the show, which was modified to eliminate explosions and pyrotechnics.
There is, of course, an added concern surrounding the proliferation of horse tranquilizers in the vicinity of Keith Richards.
