More than 100 complaints after horse killed and skinned on BBC2

The BBC has received more than 100 complaints after it broadcast graphic scenes of a horse being axed, stabbed and skinned in a BBC2 documentary.

The documentary, Horse People with Alexandra Tolstoy, followed the life of the horse-dependent herders of a remote region of Siberia.

The herders, who live on a diet of horsemeat, selected a horse for slaughter because it had not produced a foal. A graphic sequence of events saw the terrified horse choked with a lasso, hacked across the neck with an axe and finally stabbed in the heart to kill it. The horse was then skinned.

The programme, which was broadcast at 9pm on Tuesday night, has so far led to 106 complaints to the BBC.

It also sparked an angry reaction on the BBC's online discussion forum. One viewer has sent a letter of complaint to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals while others described the scenes as sickening and disgusting.

However, among the 49 posts there were a number that supported the show. "It was a horrible scene but the BBC were right to show it, it was a programme about people who keep horses for meat," said one. "In my opinion there are much more humane ways of killing a horse but these men were doing their best with limited resources."

The TV show ran with a warning stating "Guidance: contains upsetting scenes". Some viewers complained that the warning was not strong enough.

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