For decades, viewers debated the authenticity of the scene. Director Joe D’Amato later clarified the technical aspects:
Film scholars are beginning to apply the "transgressive art" label to D’Amato’s work. When you hear a cinephile argue that than the animal scenes in Pasolini’s Salo (1975), they are not being provocative. They are comparing two visions of fascism: Pasolini’s cold, intellectual fecal horror versus D’Amato’s lurid, carnivalesque animal horror.
Understanding the historical context of Italian exploitation and the career of Joe D’Amato provides a more comprehensive view of why Emanuelle in America remains a point of intense discussion in the world of cult film.
Overall, the horse scene in "Emmanuelle in America" is a complex and multifaceted moment in film history. While it may be disturbing and off-putting to some viewers, it is also a significant and thought-provoking commentary on the objectification of women and the exploitation of animals.