Woman in alleged horse abuse video due in court soon to 'resolve' matter
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Aug 28, 2023 • 3 minute read
We have found no evidence the horse -- seen in a shocking video showing what police say is the torture of the animal -- is alive and well.
A woman has been charged after a vile online video surfaced which investigators say shows the repugnant torture of a horse. YouTube
It was as ugly a video as ugly can get.
A horse being dragged along the road with ropes around her head and blood coming from her hoofs was just too much for the public to tolerate. The apparent torture of a female horse named Ezra, seemingly captured on video by the alleged abuser herself, sent shockwaves beyond the equestrian community of Ontario.
The vile video that ended with footage of her standing in pools of blood also shocked the world. What added insult to obvious injuries was audio that could be heard from a female trainer calling the female horse a “retard.”
It was gross. Disturbing. Intolerable.
Solstice Pecile, 23, of the Township of Cavan Monaghan.
Solstice Pecile, 23, of the Township of Cavan Monaghan.
It was a case of alleged animal cruelty that not only upset the Canadian equestrian landscape but also received media coverage and outrage from around the globe.
The Toronto Sun has learned justice in Ezra’s name is set to be delivered in the form of an agreement between all parties that will be presented before a judge in Cobourg on Sept. 13.
Time will tell what that justice looks like. But it seems the strange and horrifying case is finally coming to a conclusion.
It started out as a real mystery. While there was a video floating around social media, there were few answers.
Who was this trainer? What was the name of the horse? Where did this incident take place?
Investigators need help identifying a woman seen in an online video abusing a horse in Northumberland County.
Solstice Pecile, 23, was charged by police for “causing distress to an animal under the Provincial Animal Services Act.” YouTube
The story and video ran widely before anybody knew any of those answers. But it did not take long for the OPP with the help of animal welfare agencies to nail it down.
Investigators need help identifying a woman seen in an online video abusing a horse in Northumberland County.
Investigators need help identifying a woman seen in an online video abusing a horse in Northumberland County. YouTube
First, they located the trainer and the location.
“The ministry can confirm that Solstice Pecile, 23, of the Township of Cavan Monaghan, has been charged with Causing Distress to an Animal under Sec. 15 (1) of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act,” ministry spokesperson Brent Ross told The Toronto Sun on Nov. 29, 2022.
A person convicted of this can face a sentence of “a fine of not more than $130,000, to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years, or to both.”
But last November it was still unclear the whereabouts and condition of this horse or even what her name was.
Enter Emily Reardon. She said she was the original owner of Ezra who sold the horse to Pecile, who was calling her Quinn.
Upon recognizing Ezra and Pecile from the video, Reardon embarked upon a journey to get her horse back but found she had been sold to an operation in Quebec. She was able to locate and buy back her horse and she now is helping her heal and recover in a private location.
It has been quiet since then.
Other than Pecile’s first court appearance Jan. 11 there has been a virtual blackout. The well-known horse endurance trainer has not commented and nor has anybody from the Wishing Stone Farm in Bailieboro, near Port Hope, which was well known for training horse and offering an “equine boot camp” to get horses ready for endurance competitions.
Pecile is innocent until proven guilty.
All eyes will be on the courtroom next month in what Reardon says could be a landmark case in which the protection of other horses or animals is at stake.
“The outcome here can set precedent for many future animal abuse/welfare cases and it has to be taken seriously,” said Reardon, who has gone to Change.org with a petition at “to raise awareness of the case again in hopes the prosecuting lawyer and judge will understand that the public still cares about this case and that the outcome is bigger than this case alone.”
Meanwhile, Pecile has not responded to requests for comment, but Reardon says the farm is still offering “pony rides and farm sitting services.”
It will be interesting to see if the judge includes conditions in any decision that could prevent any dealing with animals. One thing is certain: No one wants to see another video like the one that went viral last year.
change.org
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Aug 28, 2023 • 3 minute read
We have found no evidence the horse -- seen in a shocking video showing what police say is the torture of the animal -- is alive and well.
A woman has been charged after a vile online video surfaced which investigators say shows the repugnant torture of a horse. YouTube
It was as ugly a video as ugly can get.
A horse being dragged along the road with ropes around her head and blood coming from her hoofs was just too much for the public to tolerate. The apparent torture of a female horse named Ezra, seemingly captured on video by the alleged abuser herself, sent shockwaves beyond the equestrian community of Ontario.
The vile video that ended with footage of her standing in pools of blood also shocked the world. What added insult to obvious injuries was audio that could be heard from a female trainer calling the female horse a “retard.”
It was gross. Disturbing. Intolerable.
Solstice Pecile, 23, of the Township of Cavan Monaghan.
Solstice Pecile, 23, of the Township of Cavan Monaghan.
It was a case of alleged animal cruelty that not only upset the Canadian equestrian landscape but also received media coverage and outrage from around the globe.
The Toronto Sun has learned justice in Ezra’s name is set to be delivered in the form of an agreement between all parties that will be presented before a judge in Cobourg on Sept. 13.
Time will tell what that justice looks like. But it seems the strange and horrifying case is finally coming to a conclusion.
It started out as a real mystery. While there was a video floating around social media, there were few answers.
Who was this trainer? What was the name of the horse? Where did this incident take place?
Investigators need help identifying a woman seen in an online video abusing a horse in Northumberland County.
Solstice Pecile, 23, was charged by police for “causing distress to an animal under the Provincial Animal Services Act.” YouTube
The story and video ran widely before anybody knew any of those answers. But it did not take long for the OPP with the help of animal welfare agencies to nail it down.
Investigators need help identifying a woman seen in an online video abusing a horse in Northumberland County.
Investigators need help identifying a woman seen in an online video abusing a horse in Northumberland County. YouTube
First, they located the trainer and the location.
“The ministry can confirm that Solstice Pecile, 23, of the Township of Cavan Monaghan, has been charged with Causing Distress to an Animal under Sec. 15 (1) of the Provincial Animal Welfare Services Act,” ministry spokesperson Brent Ross told The Toronto Sun on Nov. 29, 2022.
A person convicted of this can face a sentence of “a fine of not more than $130,000, to imprisonment for a term of not more than two years, or to both.”
But last November it was still unclear the whereabouts and condition of this horse or even what her name was.
Enter Emily Reardon. She said she was the original owner of Ezra who sold the horse to Pecile, who was calling her Quinn.
Upon recognizing Ezra and Pecile from the video, Reardon embarked upon a journey to get her horse back but found she had been sold to an operation in Quebec. She was able to locate and buy back her horse and she now is helping her heal and recover in a private location.
It has been quiet since then.
Other than Pecile’s first court appearance Jan. 11 there has been a virtual blackout. The well-known horse endurance trainer has not commented and nor has anybody from the Wishing Stone Farm in Bailieboro, near Port Hope, which was well known for training horse and offering an “equine boot camp” to get horses ready for endurance competitions.
Pecile is innocent until proven guilty.
All eyes will be on the courtroom next month in what Reardon says could be a landmark case in which the protection of other horses or animals is at stake.
“The outcome here can set precedent for many future animal abuse/welfare cases and it has to be taken seriously,” said Reardon, who has gone to Change.org with a petition at “to raise awareness of the case again in hopes the prosecuting lawyer and judge will understand that the public still cares about this case and that the outcome is bigger than this case alone.”
Meanwhile, Pecile has not responded to requests for comment, but Reardon says the farm is still offering “pony rides and farm sitting services.”
It will be interesting to see if the judge includes conditions in any decision that could prevent any dealing with animals. One thing is certain: No one wants to see another video like the one that went viral last year.
3,400 people signed and won this petition
Demand Justice for Ezra: Set a Precedent for Horse Welfare in Ontario and Canada
change.org
WARMINGTON: Woman in alleged horse abuse video due in court soon to 'resolve' matter
A horse being dragged along the road with ropes around her head and blood coming from her hoofs was just too much for the public to tolerate!