Palma residents protest horse-drawn carriages

Flickr by Miguel Ángel Sánchez-Ballesteros

A PETITION to ban carriages pulled by horses in Palma de Mallorca has already been signed by 70,500 people as of today (April 16).

The petition was launched on the website Change.org a week ago by Luis Moreira, a Palma resident who was encouraged to create it after the death of a horse on April 8 in front of Palma Cathedral.

“For the past few years, numerous incidents have occurred regarding these carriages, for instance, drivers hitting [the horses] due to impatience, the death of animals after suffering heat stroke or excessively long working hours,” reads the petition.

It continues: “Horses are forced to carry out heavy, physical efforts the entire day, 365 days per year.”

The petition has sparked international responses, especially in Germany, with 63 per cent of the signatories being to German citizens.

The ‘Galeras Rojas,’ the name given to carriages in Palma, are one of the most popular attractions, frequently used by tourists. The authors of the petition have proposed the substitution of horse-drawn carriages with vintage or classic cars to be able to maintain the cart drivers’ jobs.

The petition can be found at https://www.change.org/p/ayto-de-palma-de-mallorca-eliminen-las-calesas-tiradas-por-caballos.

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Comments


    • linda felton

      14 May 2015 • 09:22

      please add my name to the petition good luck!

    • Tina ince

      24 August 2016 • 15:44

      Was in cala millor yesterday. Poor horse stood in sweltering heat no water. Shame on these people who treat horses this way. I see people walking their dogs dyring the day when the pavements are like walking on hot coals.

    • Lynn Ting

      18 April 2017 • 13:48

      I am really worried about going to Cala Millor this summer as it upsets me when I see animals being treated badly, especially when there is nothing that I can do about it.
      I really don’t want to see this on holiday and would never take a carriage ride. I hope that animal welfare will step in and monitor the situation..

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