Spanish Tourist Hotspot Malaga To Ban Horse-drawn Carriages

A pair of tourists admire the shimmering Mediterranean from their horse-drawn carriage on the seaside promenade in Spain's southern port of Malaga, a postcard image whose days are numbered. Animal rights activists criticise horse-drawn carriages for tourists because of the strain they put on the animals, especially during the searing summer heat.

A pair of tourists admire the shimmering Mediterranean from their horse-drawn carriage on the seaside promenade in Spain's southern port of Malaga, a postcard image whose days are numbered. The city wants to ban horse-drawn carriages from its streets this year to protect the animals after years of criticism of the trade. The decision to follow in the footsteps of other tourist hotspots such as Rome and Chicago dismayed travellers, including Anastasia, a chef who had travelled from Britain.

"It is nice. I was impressed seeing Malaga like this; it is completely different," said the 47-year-old as she dismounted from a carriage. Fellow British tourist Robert agreed, wondering about his “amazing" trip with a beautiful horse. "I am sure it helps the city attract more tourists," the 46-year-old business owner added. Animal rights activists criticise horse-drawn carriages for tourists because of the strain they put on animals, especially during the searing summer heat.

Summer temperatures in Malaga can soar to 45 degrees Celcusi, said Concordia Marquez, founder of a nearby shelter called Todas load Caballos del Mundo. “Horses and horse-drawn carriages have to cover a lot of ground both to get to where they spend the night and to get back to their palace for work," added Marquez.

"That is inhumane to make a horse work like that."

Malaga City Hall announced 2015 that it aimed to ban horse-drawn carriages from its streets by 2035, but it now wants to bring the ban forward this year. Officials are in talks with the holders of the last 25 licenses to reach an agreement.

"We have been negotiating for a long time. We have met 99 per cent of the demands of carriage owners," said Malga’s city councillor for mobility, Maria Trinidad Hernandez. "What we are looking for is animal welfare, but it is also the case that they used to have more places to circulate," she added.

"With the building works that have gone on for the last 20 years, hardly any remains. There is the park and a little bit of the promenade left." Horse-drawn carriages will not totally disappear. They will still be allowed to participate in festivals and traditions like Malag's annual fair in August. "What there won't be are municipal licences, the tourist horse-drawn carriage, the one you take and pay for as if it were a street taxi," said Hernandez.

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