The Mayor of Málaga, Francisco De la Torre, announced this Monday that the use of horse carriages as tourist rides in the city is prohibited as of the following day.

The Mayor announced that the city had taken this step “with the welfare & safety of the animals in mind,” adding, “Málaga has evolved, and there are now many sustainable ways to explore the city: the best of all is enjoying a stroll through our streets.” 

The city has 25 licences for tourist, horse-drawn carriages and their owners have received compensation for bringing forward the end of this activity, which was initially planned for 2035.

So, what will happen to the horses? That is the big question now facing the coachmen, as the stables in Teatinos will be dismantled, and each will have to find their own solution.

In the best-case scenario, the animals will be sold or will reinforce the services of other cities that still use horse & carriage services for tourists; At worst, they’ll end up in the knackers’ yard, as has already happened in some cases.

It’s worth remembering that even though this form of tourist transport as sightseeing service might not be allowed in the city, coachmen will still be able to keep their animals and vehicles for work at special events, such as weddings, communions, or private parties.

However, some owners are not happy about this. They claim that selling some of these animals is unviable and they can’t afford the cost of keeping them: “They talk about animal welfare, yet they condemn them to the slaughterhouse,” one such owner pointed out

As for the Málaga College of Veterinarians, they prefer not to make a comment on the affair.

Each licence holders for the 55 horse-drawn carriage licenses that existed in 2018 has received €125,380.

Meanwhile, the street signs indicating reserved parking spaces for horse-drawn carriages located on Cortina del Muelle, Paseo de los Curas, and Avenida Cervantes have been removed and the space allotted to motorbike parking.

Finally, although they are banned in the city of Málaga, you can still find them in Marbella, Mijas, and Fuengirola.

(News: City & Metropolitan Area, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)

Keywords: Horse-Drawn Carriage, Tourist Sightseeing, Banned in Malaga City

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