THE issue of the care and well-being, or lack of, of the horses which pull the tourist carriages in Palma has been raised again by the left wing eco-nationalist party MES for Palma.
And, judging by the comments from the Bulletin’s friends on Facebook, it is certainly a burning issue and one not exclusive to Palma but other resorts around the island.
MES want much stricter controls on the horses’ health and educational training for the drivers so they are able to offer tourists a better service by providing more information about the city’s history and culture.
Many agree, it is about time, while some people would like to see the carriages taken off the streets all together, deeming the attraction as “cruel” and “out dated”.
Cities like Jerez, the equestrian capital of Spain , if not Europe, have the most impressive carriages and healthiest horses one could imagine ferrying tourists around - horses are culture in that part of the country and are therefore carefully and proudly protected and cared for.
Here, however, one gets the impression that it’s just another money making tourist attraction.
But, the response from many Europeans is that they are not that impressed by the way the horses are treated and the conditions under which the city council allows them to work.
Perhaps it is time for the council to either take this matter seriously or ban them.