Horse-drawn carriages Marbella.Credit: Philip Bird – Shutterstock.
Marbella Council is set to update its ordinance regulating horse-drawn carriages, with a focus on animal welfare.
The new regulations, first proposed in October 2020, will include tight rules on animal welfare, a change in the law has not ben present in legal documentation originally written up in 2010. The new rules will establish a maximum validity of 20 years for licenses, ensuring free competition and payback of investments. It will also introduce a chapter on the conditions of equine wellbeing and establish fines for non-compliance.
The move plans to preserve the cultural, historical, and social aspect of horse-drawn carriages, requiring them to apply for an official veterinary certificate and be registered in the General Registry of Livestock Farms.
The age of horses will be from 4 to 18 years, with the possibility of an extension to 23 years. The new rules also prohibit the use of a whip on animals and bans any physical punishment or practices that threaten the wellbeing of working horses. The new ordinance will be launched before the summer, ensuring animal safety and welfare in the transportation of tourists in horse-drawn carriages.
It seems that the council are seeking to reach a middle ground between the owners of the horse and carriage concessions, locals who want to maintain the cultural aspect of the tourist rides, and campaigners who have been seeking to get a ban on the use of horses for rides in the city.
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