HORSE KILLED ON FILM SET WAS TRAINED.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

LAKE VIEW TERRACE - A horse killed on the film set of ``Flicka'' this week was a domesticated animal that died after tripping on its lead rope, city animal control officials said Tuesday.

Investigators with the Animal Services Department concluded that a horse killed Monday during filming of the 20th Century Fox remake of ``My Friend Flicka'' was not a wild mustang as they originally reported.

``Per our standards, it wasn't wild because it was halter broke,'' said Capt. Karen Knipscheer, spokeswoman for the Animal Services Department, which issues animal-use permits to the film industry.

``It stepped on its own lead rope, tripped and snapped its neck by breaking its third vertebrae. It felt no pain.''

A necropsy report on the horse's death is expected next week.

The animal was killed during the second take of a race in which four horses were filmed galloping around an arena at Hansen Dam Equestrian Center, according to Fox 2000 and witness accounts.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an animal rights group, called for a full investigation by Los Angeles County Animal Control, saying in a letter that Fox broke a California law that prohibits tethering an animal in a way that could cause injury or unnecessary suffering.

Fox officials expressed regret at the death of what they described as a trained rodeo horse.

``We are terribly saddened by the events that occurred yesterday on the set of the feature film 'Flicka,''' said a statement released by 20th Century Fox. ``The production has taken every possible precaution and safety measure in shooting scenes where horses are involved.''

The American Humane Association, which had four safety representatives on the set, has said it would not issue a film credit saying that no animals had been harmed in the film.

The horse was owned by Rusty Hendrickson of Montana, who has supplied horses for such films as ``The Horse Whisperer'' and ``Dances With Wolves,'' Knipscheer said.

``He was pretty shaken up,'' she said. ``He knew it was an accident that had never happened to him before.''

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

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com