Exercise rider Leyte suspended for poor treatment of pony horse

ARCADIA, Calif. – Exercise rider Guadalupe Leyte has been suspended 10 days and fined $1,000 for poor treatment of a pony horse in the Santa Anita stable area, according to a ruling released by track stewards.

Leyte, 45, was suspended 30 days, but 20 days of the suspension will be stayed if Leyte does not have any violations of animal-welfare rules while holding a California Horse Racing Board license.

Leyte has three ponies in the Santa Anita stable area that are used to accompany horses during racing and training, and one of them was not considered to be in satisfactory condition, according to steward Scott Chaney.

“We thought he could have taken better care of the pony,” Chaney said.

The pony in question has been turned out, Chaney said.

Leyte’s suspension began Friday and runs through Feb. 11.