10 Movies That Abused Animal Rights During Production

6. Ben-Hur Killed Horses On A Racing Bet

Ben-Hur might just be responsible for killing more animals during production than any other American film. Released way back in 1925, Fred Niblo's historical silent epic was a big-budget affair based on the novel of the same name by Lew Wallace. Enormous in both scope and scale, Ben-Hur can still be regarded as a massive film in every sense of the word. In an attempt to shoot one of the biggest - and most realistic - chariot races in history, the production team reportedly whacked a hundred dollar bill on the table and told the stuntmen that whoever won the race would get it. A nice bit of cash to have back in 1925. The resulting chariot race was not only chaotic - but dangerously real. Over 100 horses reportedly died during the filming of this particular scene, suffering multiple injuries during the tumultuous chase, and simply being shot instead of given medical aid.