HOLLYWOOD UNDER FIRE IN DEATH OF 2ND HORSE.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

A second horse was killed this month during filming of the remake of ``My Friend Flicka,'' igniting criticism from animal-rights groups nationwide Wednesday over lax oversight by the entertainment industry.

The American Humane Association, paid by Hollywood to oversee animal safety in films, disclosed that a horse was euthanized April 11 after fracturing its leg on a ``Flicka'' set near Simi Valley.

The announcement came two days after another horse was killed during a ``Flicka'' shoot at the Hansen Dam Equestrian Center in Lake View Terrace, where 20th Century Fox was filming what it called a ``wild horse race'' scene.

Critics said there is a conflict of interest between the AHA and the Screen Actors Guild of Hollywood, which funds the AHA film and television office in Sherman Oaks.

``I am mortified. Poor horses. They've gotta stop this,'' said Kathy Riordan, a San Fernando Valley horse owner who sits on the Los Angeles Animal Services Commission.

``I personally think there is a major conflict of interest when the entity responsible for monitoring an industry is supported by it. Any way you look at it, (the American Humane Association) gets paid by Hollywood and there's something wrong with that.''

AHA officials denied any conflict of interest, referring to the deaths as a ``bizarre'' misfortune and saying the group's mission was to protect animal performers.

``It's incredibly bizarre,'' said AHA spokeswoman Kathryn Jahnigen in Denver. ``It's a strange and upsetting coincidence. It's 'My Friend Flicka' - it's not a situation we would expect horses to suffer injuries.''

For the second time in a week, Fox and the AHA expressed regret for a horse's death on the set.

``The studio and the filmmakers were devastated,'' according to a statement from 20th Century Fox. ``When a horse is seriously injured like this, we must respect the veterinarian's professional opinion on what's best for the animal.

Obviously, this was a very difficult decision to make.''

Witnesses to Monday's incident first reported what appeared to be a wild mustang killed on the ``Flicka'' shoot despite the oversight of four AHA safety representatives.

According to onlookers, four horses were galloping around an arena with 30-foot ropes dangling from their necks. One female horse tripped when its back legs became entangled in the ropes and fell and broke its neck.

``When they started filming, I thought, This isn't safe at all, this is insane,'' said a background extra who asked to remain anonymous. ``After (the fall), they kept filming.

``The assistant director kept yelling to the crowd, 'Keep yelling, keep cheering.''

Upon learning of the death, the city Animal Services Department ordered animal film production ceased and launched an investigation that concluded that a halter-broken horse had died as a result of tripping on its lead line.

The department maintains that the AHA failed to notify the city as required.

On Monday, neither Fox nor AHA officials mentioned that a horse had already died two weeks earlier on another ``Flicka'' shoot in the hills north of Simi Valley.

While filming a low-risk scene on the set at Big Sky Ranch, a horse stepped the wrong way while cantering in a circle with a rider on its back, according to accounts by Fox and the AHA.

The horse was trained, rehearsed for the scene, and had not stepped into a hole, they reported Wednesday.

A veterinarian determined that the horse fractured its hind leg - a rare injury that could not have been foreseen - and opted for euthanasia as the most humane treatment, they said.

Prior to the shoot, the horse had been certified in good health per AHA guidelines.

``It seems pretty clear that the AHA caters to the entertainment industry,'' said Amy Rhodes, an animal and entertainment specialist for the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Norfolk, Va., which has called for further investigation into the horses' deaths.

Hollywood has had a long history of losing horses and other animals in risky scenes.

But while the new ``Flicka'' has claimed two horses, no horses were lost during filming of the 1943 classic.

In the original ``Ben Hur'' shot in 1925, 200 horses were killed in the chariot race scene, according to American Western Magazine. In a 1940 Jesse James film, one horse was ridden over a 70-foot cliff into white water rapids.

Only the stuntman survived.

The incident spawned oversight by the American Humane Association, and injuries decreased, according to the AHA. In the 1959 remake of ``Ben Hur,'' not a single horse was hurt.

The modern adaptation of the Mary O'Hara novel ``My Friend Flicka'' features a Wyoming ranch girl who adopts a wild mustang. The new ``Flicka,'' starring country music idol Tim McGraw, is scheduled for U.S. release in February.

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com